Vance of the Canadians to Chilly and of the French First Army to Andcchy and Marquivillers, the Allied Offensive Before Amiens Temporarily Ceased

Home , 11th Brigade (Australia), 2nd Brigade (Australia), Cerisy, Chuignes, Chuignolles, Curlu

CHAPTER XVII

- HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE (AUGUST ZIST-Z~TH) WITH the capture of Lihons and Proyart, following the advance of the Canadians to Chilly and of the French First Army to AndCchy and Marquivillers, the Allied offensive before Amiens temporarily ceased. It has already been explained that Foch on August 10th elated by the swift progress of the French Third Army in that morning’s attack, and believing it to be due to the enemy’s demoral- isation, urged Haig that Rawlinson and Debeifey should now strive with all available strength to reach the bridge-head s on the Somme from PCronne southwards ; and that Haig, though not believing that demoralis- ation among the Ger- mans was general, consented to order an advance to seize the crossings of the Somme. His hesitation was certainly justified; the lack of resistance to the Third French Army was due to the Eighteenth German Army’s having on the previous night withdrawn by order to a prepared line. All parts of the British battle-line south of the Somme reported the Germans’ resistance to be stiffening.l Haig foresaw great difficulties in driving

1 On Aug. II (apparently when he attended a conference of Gen. Monash and the five Australian dwsional commanders at Villers-Bretonneux) he actually received the impression that the 1st Aust. Div. at Lihons had received a serious defeat through the 5th Rav Div.’s counter-attack. This was the opposite of the

713 714 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [Aug., 1918 them across the old Somme battlefields, whose edge the main advance had now reached. For eight miles in breadth and over twenty-five in width that wilderness-most like a long abandoned, stoneless grave-yard-was gridironed by old trenches (then overgrown ditches) while bands of rusty entanglement here and there marked the main trench-lines of 1916. Events of August 11th proved it impossible country for cavalry and favourable for German delaying tactics. Considerable German reserves must now be arriving and Haig had learnt from past failures that, as soon as opposition stiffened, he should use his own reserves, which were few, for a surprise elsewhere. He had chosen for the place the Third Army’s sector north of the point where the German retirement hinged. There he would try to crash through to Bapaume. Later, when the Third Army in its turn had attracted German reserves, the Fourth Army would resume its offensive. This would greatly widen the extent of the enemy’s fluid line and the Third Army, driving south-east from Bapaume, could outflank the Somme line at PCronne and help the Fourth to cross that difficult obstacle. In the north the Third Army would be helped by the First, north of Arras. Haig had made these plans before Foch saw him on the Ioth, and though in loyalty to Foch he pointed out to the Canadian general, Currie, the advantage of crossing the Somme on the enemy’s heels, he came back from his interview with Maj .-General Lambert2 more than ever determined on his own plan. Meeting General Byng3 he warned him to be ready to attack as soon as reserves could be transferred to him. At the same time Maj.-General Montgomery, chief of Rawlinson’s staff, suggested to Maj .-General Davidson at G.H.Q. that, to avoid the cost of continuing to thrust against increasing resistance, Fourth Army should for a few days merely keep touch, and then make a full dress attack about truth-even German histories agree that this counter-attack failed disastrously. ?e 1st Div. was. however, seriously checked by the Bavarian defence and lost heavily in forcing its way through it. Haig may have been misled by a false report that Lihons had been captured on Aug. IO. and may have assumed, that it was subsequently lost. At this conference he thanked the Australian leaders and their troops for their effort. ‘See e. 668. 8 At Monash’s H.Q. on Aug 11 Byng previously had not wished to attack across the ?Id Somme battlefield 11th-20th Aug., 19181 HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 715

August 14th, after the troops had rested. Haig decided to order both operations ; Foch approved, and the orders were sent out next day. On August 15th at dawn the Fourth British and First French Armies would attack Chaulnes and the high ground east and north-east of Roye. Subsequently, about August 20th, the Third Army, strengthened by four infantry and two cavalry divisions and 200 tanks, would strike towards Bapaume. The main task in the Chaulnes-Roye attack would fall to the French and Canadians. The Australian Corps would make a flank for them, as indicated in the marginal sketch (p. 716). The 5th and 4th Divisions, then mostly resting around Villers- Bretonneux and Corbie were ordered to assemble south of Harbonnitres on the night of the 13th. At the moment, 4th Division was responsible for the sector taken over from I11 Corps north of the Somme, but was holding it only with its 13th Brigade and the 131st Regiment, US. Infantry. Monash had already obtained leave to organise these troops as a division, to be called the “Liaison Force” and to be commanded by General Wisdom of the 7th Brigade.4 The 4th Division was thus free to make the attack with its two other brigades. On the night of August 14th the 5th and 4th Divisions would relieve the 1st Division as well as the left brigade of the 1st Canadian Division south of the Chaulnes railway, and would attack at dawn.6 North of ‘The clearing of Etinehem peninsula on Aug. 13 and 14 was carried out under Gen. Wisdom’s orders. The Liaison Force comprised the following troops: 13 Aust. Inf. Bde. 13th Fld. Coy. 131st Regt. U.S. Inf. 13th Aust. Fld. Amb. 58th Div. Artillery. 130th US. Provisional Amb. Coy. 5th Bde.. R.H A. 27th Coy., A.A.S C. 104th U.S. M.G. Bn. One troop 13th A.L.H. 13th Aust. M.G. Coy. The staff was: Commander- Intelligciice- Br.-Gen. E. A. Wisdom (7th Bde.) Lt. C. J. Brossois (18th Bn ) General Staff- “8” Branch (Staff Captain)- Maj. R. G. Casey (Aust. Corps, HQ.) Capt. R. V. Spier (Aust. Corps H.Q.) Capt. E T. Bareley (6th Bde H Q ). Capt. C. Ahey (1st Aust. Div. Train) Lt. G. F. Priestky (1st Aust. D.H.Q.) -410 A D M s - Maj. T. C. C. Evans (13th Pld. Amb.) ‘The 13tnd American Re mas allotted to 4th Div. as reserve brigade. Each division would be supported fy about 25 Mark V tanks and some carriers, and the 5th Div. also by whippets. The artillery would cover them with barrage as far as it could, and then advance giving all possible support. Counter-battery work would be almost impossible, the German batteries not having yet been located. 716 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [ 13th-Igth Aug., 1918 them the 2nd would have to swing up its flank, but the rest of the Corps would ~ confine itself to bombardment and peaceful penetration. To give the 3rd Division a short rest, the -- 17th British Division, though already ear-marked for Third Army's offensive, was put in for a few days south of the Somme. Orders were issued, the artillery grouped,B and ofi- cers sent to reconnoitre, when messages arrived on August 13th delaying the attack for one day: and next day postponing it indefinitely. Of the reason for this General Monash writes.8 It transpired later that General Currie had made very strong private representations to the Fourth Army against the plan. He questioned the wisdom of expending the resources of the Canadian Corps [in an attempt] to repeat, over such broken country, covered as it was with entanglements and other obstacles, the great success of August 8th. He urged that the Canadian Corps should be transferred back to the Arras district-which they knew so well. It was country lending itself admirably to operations requiring careful organisation. Haig apparently heard unoficially of Currie's views and then invited Rawlinson to state his opinion. On August 14th Rawlinson brought him a letter from Currie, and also air photographs showing the belts of old wire. To have the Canadians back on the front north of Arras suited Haig's plan admirabl~.~ He now decided to limit the Somme attack to a series of set stages and on August Igth, at Foch's Headquarters at Sarcus, thrashed the issue out with him. Stressing his responsibility for the safety of the British Army he told Foch of his scheme

a Railheads for supplies for Aust. Corps were now at Villers-Bretonneux Corbie, and (for reserve troops) Amiens. Railhead for the right division wa; being advanced to Guillaucourt. 'Because Gen. Debeney said he could not be ready by the 15th. 0 Australian Vtctmrer tn France, p. 141. 0 Haig had discussed some of his plans-possibly including this ontnot only with Byng and Horne but with Rawlinson, Currie and Nonash. ~sth-z~stAug.,1g18] HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 717 and-though this was probably beyond his rights-that he had given instructions for it to be carried out. Hews had reached Haig on the previous day that the Germans facing Third Army were retiring. He believed that the withdrawal might be extensive, and had ordered Byng to press on the enemy even before the extra troops had been sent to him. Foch approved, and reversed his attitude as to Fourth Army’s rde, agreeing that it should attack after Third Army, which at first it would support only with its left, north of the Somme.

This decision meant that the Australian front must be re- disposed for a week of waiting. The 4th Division went on and relieved the 1st on August 16th. TWOdays A week - later the 5th Division relieved the 17th, from of waiting the Somme to south of the Roman road. The day after that (August 19th) the 32nd British Division relieved the 2nd (between 4th and 5th). At the same time, the 33rd American Division was called away for intended Ameri- can operations near Verdun. The Liaison Force had on August 15th been reinforced by a battalion (34th) of the 3rd Division. Third Army’s attack had now been fixed for August 21st, and on the previous day the Liaison Forcelo was relieved by the 3rd Division which was to act with I11 Corps in supporting the offensive. In this week of waiting the First French Army on August 16th and following days advanced a kilometre or two in all on a seven mile front, Canadian patrols pushing forward on the flank; and on the 18th General Mangin’s Tenth Army extended the battle with a sharp stroke on a twelve-mile front north-west of Soissons. On the Australian front, though large operations were barred, all divisions, including the 17th British, used peaceful penetration to force back the outposts of the enemy’s forward zone, and brought the front much closer to his real line of resistance, a condition favourable for the coming attack. On the right, at Lihons, the front lay in the network of old trenches-actually along one or other of the old opposing front lines of 1916. North of Lihons it receded rapidly

~ ~ ~~ l0The 13th Bde. now returned to the 4th Div., setting free the 13md American Regt. in reserve. Map No. 2

THEFRONT FROM LIHONSTO ALBERTAFTER THE BA~OF AMIENS. 12th-17thAug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 719

from them, cutting across the old crater-field through which ran only occasional long communication trenches. North of the Roman road, the old front lines lay still three or four miles ahead, from east of Foucaucourt to east of Frise. Here the Corps had not yet reached the communication trenches; they began on the east side of Froissy valley which itself still lay some distance behind the German outposts. North of the Somme the old front lay near Curlu, four miles beyond Bray, and, though it bent sharply westwards around Mari- court to Fricourt, the I11 Corps was still four miles short of it. In the sectors of the 4th and 2nd Divisions peaceful penetration took the form of working up the old trench-lines. The 2nd now held its 3,000 yards’ front with one brigade, the 6th, which put three battalions into the line. Their view was, at first, shut out by the northern foot of Lihons hill sloping down between the Rainecourt and Herleville valleys ; but on the afternoon of August 12th, hearing that the 11th Battalion was working along the saps farther to the right, Lieuts. Weir and Griffin’l of the 23rd made their way on to this ridge, and from that moment the brigade moved its posts gradually forward until by the Igth, after some sharp bombing up trenches, they reached Hill go on the outskirts of the old trench network south of the tumbled mounds of Herleville. A prisoner said that this place was well defended and his division the ~ogth,expected to be relieved. But farther south during the next two days the northern battalions (13th and 14th) of the 4th Division advanced far up the trenches ahead of them, reaching the edge of Madame Wood,12 in the old French support line, and, on August 17th, occupying Lihu Farm. The 12th Brigade and Canadians also straightened their line astride the railway. General Monash set for the and Division an objective beyond Herleville to be reached by the same method. On the night of the 16th the 6th Brigade noted abnormal quiet there. Prisoners taken by the Canadians said that their army was preparing to withdraw across the Somme,

“Capt. G. W. Griffin, M.C.; a3rd Bn. Accountant: of Hughesdale, Vic.; b. Carlton. Vic.: 19 Nov. 1887 -Called by the Germans “Franzosen Wald” The 1st Division had begun this probing-Lt. P. Binns (Hobart), 2nd Bn., was killed patrolling. 720 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [ 16th-18th Aug., 1918 and if attacked strongly even now would make a short pre- liminary withdrawal. Patrols found the German posts still in Herleville but the higher commanders suspected that it was weakly held and decided to attack it, though with very light forces. This attack took place on August 18th. The 6th Brigade, after Ville and the gassing at Villers-Bretonneux, was so weak that the centre battalion (22nd) had only three companies of 30, 24, and 36 men respectively to hold 1,000 yards of front, with the fourth coni- pany, some 40 strong, in reserve. The supporting arti 1leryl3 also was insufficient to cover a continuous 24Bn front of attack. It was therefore decided that a number of parties should attack the German line at separate points. The right battalion (23rd) managed to seize its right company's objective beforehand by peaceful penetration," and took prisoners showing that a fresh1 German division, the 185th, had come in. When the main1 attack was launched at 4.15 the following morning, a secondI company of the 23rd seized its objective by bombing north- westwards along the trench thus reached,tched, while a third attackedatracKed frontally farther north. The right company of the centre battalion, 22nd, seized the sector north-west of this, thoughI

1'Left grouyIjth (Army) Bde. R.F.A. under Lt.-Col. J. H. Gibbon; right roup 4th a.nd th Bdes. A.F.A. under Lt.-Col. H. W. Riggall. The 5th giv. s' artillery ha1 been withdrawn to rest. "On Aug. 17 hearing that a patrol of the 14th Bn. had got into Madame Wwd the commander of the a3rd ordered Capt. R. G. Moss's company to bomb up Cahnau and Faidherbe Alleys into Saurien Alley. The ~3rdhad 15 casualties includin Lt. Weir, mortally wounded. This famous leader had served in the ranks of the 7th Bn. at the Landing and at Lone Pine. where he was wounded. He managed to return to the front at Pozidres b gettin Lt. Alec Raws to bnng him from the Base as his batman. He Lter refused a post on the brigade staff. 16th Aug., 19161 HAIG’S SECONb STROKE 121 losing 12 of its 30 men before reaching it;x5 but the company commander, Lieut. McCartin,lc found the trench to the left still held by Germans. As he ran back over the open to report this he was wounded by shots from near the Crucifix at the cross-roads south of Herleville, which the next company should have seized. Telephoning from Lieut. Braithwaite’s (support company) headquarters he asked Lieut.-Col. Wiltshire what he should do. Braithwaite took the transmitter from him. “Look here, Sir, this fellow’s dying,” he said. “He simply can’t go back.” Wiltshire at once told McCartin that he was sending up Capt. Sullivan’s company of the 21st (our “Brewery” company of Clmpter I) which had been lent him for reserve; he directed McCartin to come back for medical attention. But McCartin apparently tried to reach his men, and was afterwards found dead. Meanwhile his second in command, Lieut. Speak,17 also managed to inform Wiltshire through the 23rd Battalion of the position. Sullivan organised a party which, moving round under Lieut. Hardwick through the zgrd’s trenches, quickly bombed to the Crucifix capturing six Germans, and reaching the next communication trench in which part of the centre company of the 2znd had been held up. The centre company under Lieut. Fultonls attacked in five sections and, like other troops this day, was fired on almost from the start, but reached the cross-roads, and from the road bank tried to bomb a German machine-gun post in the trench just beyond. Lieuts. Fulton and Evans1Bwere wounded and Sergt. Ellis?” killed as he bombed. Lieut. Wood,*l following with a machine-gun, rushed it to the bank amid the bombs and opened fire; but a bomb which he caught and tried to

16 Lt. N. J. Madden was killed by a shell. 1eLt. L. A. AlcCartin, M.C.; zznd Bn. Draper; of Geelong, Vic.; b. Geelong zo Aug. 1894. Killed In action, 18 Aug. 1918. (He was a well know; footballer of Geelong and. like Madden, an original private of the zznd). 17 Lt. L. R. Speak, aznd Bn. Clerk; of Elsternwick, Vic.; b. Buninyong, Vic., 5 Mar. 1894. mLt. C. J. Fulton, M.C., zznd Bn. Collector; of Hackney, S.A.; b. Cobar, N.S.W.. z; Oct. 1890. . H Evans, zznd Bn. Butcher; of hlelbourne, b Cardiff, Wales, 13 July Is’s”3Lt-tred n July 1940. m Sgt. L G. Ellis (No. 4002: annd Bn.). Contractor, of Grovedale, Vic., b. Grovedale, zz May 1893 Killed in action, 18 Aug. 1918. Lt. J. R. Wood, D C.M.; 7th M G. Coy. Enpneer; of Hcalcswlle, Vic.; b. Lwds, Eng., a8 Mar. 1894. Died of wounds, 20 Aug. 1918. 722 THE A.I.P. IN PRANCE [16th-18th Aug., 1918 return burst in his face, mortally wounding him. The survivors under Lieut. Harold Smith2* withdrew and went on again up the communication trench in which another party had advanced. Their junction with Hardwick‘s bombing party completed the capture of the southern half of the objective. North-west of this point the Australian front had not yet reached the trench network and all parties had to advance over the open. Those from the left of the 22nd and right of the 24th attacking the cross-roads south-west of Herleville dis- appeared. Two runners came back to say the enemy were working round them. German machine-gun bullets kicked dust clouds from the edge of a crater or trench in which some were sheltering. Between 8 and 9 o’clock a party of Germans was seen carrying away a wounded man and driving a dozen prisoners. A week later was found there a wooden cross inscribed in German, “Six Unknown Australians.” A quarter of a mile to the north-west a party of the 24th which had reached its objective (the Rainecourt-Vermandovillers road) held on under Private Arti~~~till dusk in a dangerous position and then withdrew. Those farther to the left had already returned. The northern half of the objective remained un- captured. The 6th Brigade lost 117 officers and men. It took 15 prisoners of the 185th Division. Records of this division say that it relieved the rcgth and the southern part of the 107th on Aug. 16. “Opposite lay the 1st and 2nd Australian divisions, known as elite divisions.”24 The line of trench and road attacked by the right and centre of the 6th Bde. was part of the main line of its forward zone; the true main line lay half a mile behind Starry Wood. The regiments had increased their depth, each having only one battalion in the line with two of its companies in the true main line and two forward. The successful attack of the 23rd and zznd Bns. forced the two companies of the 28th R.I.R. out of most of their forward zone, and a third company was brought up. The fighting is described as bitter, the regiment losing 115 officers and men, of whom one officer and 68 men were missing. A counter-attack was ordered but was postponed to allow of more artillery support. The left of the Australian attack was met by two companies of the 65th I.R. Early that morning preparations were detected, and as soon as the attack started it was opposed by fire of artillery and of SLt. H. Smith, M.C., M.M.; amd Bn. Clerk; of AlphinHon, Vic.: b. St. Kilda. Vic., 30 Oct. 1893. Cpl. J. Artis. D.C.M. (No. 4292; 24th Bn.). Blacksmith; of Port Fairy, Vic.. b. Port Fairy. 6 Oct. 1898. ukistory of tk[,65tk I.R. The history of the 28th R.I.R. calls them “first class attack troops. 16th-ISth Aug., 19181 HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 723 the machine-guns disposed chequer-wise about the forward zone. The fate of the Victorians who pressed on into the forward zone was learned after the war, partly from the survivors, partly from the German narra- tives. After bombing out some small German posts they came under heavy fire and were forced to shelter close to a German machine-gun post in a hedge. The Germans brought up the reserve sections of their forward companies and forced the Victorians from crater to crater. Lieut. Westaway, leading the zznd, refused to surrender when the Ger- mans called out, but was soon killed by a bomb. After many others had been hit,25 the survivors joined the right party of the 24th under Lieut. Rigby,26 who was waiting for support and fired the S.O.S. signal three times without response. Eventually a. German machine-gun officer, Res.-Lt. Everling, who came up, located Righy’s position, and set two of his guns to keep it under fire while five volunteers crept round in rear of .it. TO prevent the Australians from suspecting that an assault was imminent the machine-guns continued shooting but fired high, and the volunteers at a signal from Everling bombed and rushed them. The Germans lost in this fight 5 officers and 85 men, but took 25 prisoners and 5 Lewis guns. That night the 2nd Division was relieved by the 32nd British, the captured trench being handed over to the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment.27 Next morning, after heavy bombardment, the Germans retook it, taking 34 prisoners. The 2nd Manchester organised bombing parties and, helped on the southern flank by some of the 14th Australian Bat- talion,28 restored the position. German regimental histories say that an attempt to recover the lost part of Hill 90 was made by the storm sections of the 28th R.I.R. from the front, and the 12th Company of the 6jth I.R. from the north, but that it failed on the southern flank. The front here had been advanced by as much as a mile at one point. North of the Roman road the 17th Division made slight-gains,gn and the 5th Division (14th and 15th Brigades), coming in on the night of August 16th, considerably extended 5A survivor said that C.Q M.S. E. R. Bregenzer (Camperdown. Vic.) jumped out and tried to “bluff’ the enemy to surrender, but was killed. mLt. H. A. Righy, aqth Bn. Labourer: of Footscray, Vic.; h. Kingston, Tas., as June 1881. “The 22nd Bn.. with 80 rifles. was relieved by the dK.O.Y.L.1, over 600 stronx. Sgt. W. H. Boyes rallied some of the Manchester, led a counter-attack, and. helped by Australians and British, beat off renewed attempts. RIt was in the line from Aug. 13 to 16. It pushed forward posts on the left (north of cross-roads on Chuignolles Hill) and right (south-west of Proyart) but the II/478th I.R. immediately retook the post near Chuignolles cross-roads’ capturing several prisoners. On the hlll south-east of Proyart the line wa; advanced and two attempts by the zpnd R I R. to reca ture Avenue Cross held by ‘the 7th E. Yorks. Regt., failed. The 17th Div. $ad 700 men gassed by a German bombardment on the night of the 14th. 724 THE -4.I.F. IN FRANCE [18th-z3rd Aug., 1918 them. On the height north of the Somme more room was gained ahead of Tailles Wood, and on the night of the 18th a post of the 120th I.R. was cleared from north of the Bray-Corbie road.30 Room there was urgently needed for launching the attack by which the 3rd Division was to play its part in the Third Army’s offensive.

On August 15th-the clay on which he secured Foch’s agreement-Haig had issued the final orders for the Third Army’s attack. It would begin with a limited The attack near Bray thrust on a front of 14,000 yards with the object of seizing the German main line of resistance along the Albert-Arras railway from Beaucourt- sur-Ancre to Moyenneville. Next day the northern part of the Fourth Army, , from the Somme to Albert, a front of 12,000 yards, would thrust forward. On the third day the two armies would de- liver the main stroke on a front of 33 miles extend- ing from Herle- ville, 8,000 yards south of the S~mme,~lto Mer- catel, 39 miles south of Arras. If this succeeded, Third Army would push toward Ba- paume, with the Fourth covering its southern flank and the First now joining in to extend the breach northwards beyond the River Scarpe. On August 19th Rawlinson imparted these

By Lt. S. A. Smith (Wyalong, N.S W.) and scouts of the 34th Bn. Haig’s Despatches say the attack extended from “our ]unction with the French north of Lihons” to Mercatel. But on Aug. 23 the junction with the French was still near La Chavette. It was not altered till next day. 12nd Aug., 19181 HAIGS SECOND STROKE 725 plans to Monash. The Australian Corps was not concerned until the second day, August 22nd, when the 3rd Division north of the Somme would swing up its flank together with I11 Corps. But on the right of the main attack next day the Corps would strike south of the Somme, seize Froissy valley and establish itself on the edge of the plateau beyond. For the attack on the 22nd Maj.-General Gellibrand (3rd Divn.) would concert his plans with I11 Corps which would make an important attack with three divisions, qth, Izth, and 18th. Gellibrand decided to use his three-battalion brigade, the gth, leaving his two stronger ones fresh for the bigger advances that were expected to follow. Company commanders of the 11th Brigade, which was to go through if opportunity occurred, were warned to take their horses when they moved into support.32 The I11 Corps front bent far back and the 3rd Australian Division's secto r sharply forward along the plateau from Tailles Wood to the slope above Bray. This village lay in a steep valley which, immediately north, spread out in the shape of a trident. In consequence of the extreme difficulty of arranging for a barrage to cover an advance from the whole of his an- gular front, Gelli- brand decided to attack not Bray itself but an objective north of it; the village would then be taken either by encirclement or, later, by formal attack. In the first instance the 3rd Division would chiefly have to seize the valley Fortunately for the horses this arrangement was afterwards abandoned. 726 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [~zth-zsrdAug., 1918 north of the plateau on which the Australian posts lay, and south of the first two prongs of the trident. The attack would be made by two battalions, whose task was greatly simplified by placing them behind the flank of the I11 Corps, to advance straight down the valley. But as the I11 Corps troops had 4,000 yards to go and the 3rd Division only 2,000, an intermediate objective was laid down. Here the 47th Division, on the left of the Australians, would halt for a while and then continue with a fresh brigade. The same Australian battalions, 35th and 33rd, would attack side by side in both stages with the 34th in close support, but they would have to wait for an hour at the first objective in the valley to allow the 47th Division to finish its very much longer stage. As the 9th Brigade had only three battalions, the southern half of its front, looking down on the roofs of Bray, was held by the 3rd Pioneer Battalion which, now that reinforcements were low, was increasingly used as infantry. The I11 Corps would employ tanks and a smoke screen would be provided by including smoke shells in the barrage. The preparations for attack were facilitated by the rapid repair of the main hridge at CCrisy close behind the front.33 On August 2Ist the thunder of Third Army’s guns was heard to the north. Before noon word arrived that the Germans had been surprised, and about dusk it was heard that the objective had been captured along nearly the whole front;34 2,000 prisoners had been taken. As a consequeiice 111 Corps decided to extend its attack next morning, if possible beyond the original objectives-actually the 47th Division would try to put through its cavalry. Gellibrand ordered his infantry to push on if the 47th succeeded and Bray was clear. This order, however, was too late to reach most of the

“This had been most cleverlx done by the 3rd ,?ion. Bn. There had been two steel bridges side by side. ”A on wooden and B” on brick abutments. Both had heen destroyed; hut it was found that, if the damaged part of “A” was cut,pway it would still be lust long enough to place upon the abutments of “B whose s an was about ten feet shorter. (For photogruph see Phts 522, Voi. XII). !he top of the abutments was rebuilt. By then ihe girders were ready for placing on them. The dismantled parts were next reconnected. pinch decking brought from Blangy and La Flaque, and the work, hegun on Aug. 12, was finished ready for traffic at 4 m. on Aug. 18. one day before the time estimated. The winches. tackle, pufiey hlocks. and wire ropes used were salvaged from the German dump at La Flaque. The rest of the material came from the villages The Chief Engineer. Fourth Army, Maj.-Gen. R. U. H. Buck- land, described the work as “an excellent ioh.” Y The Arras-Albert railway was nearly everywhere reached and some trwps went beyond, but exploitation did not extend the gains to Irks, a5 had been hoped. Two New Zealand battalions took part in the first phase. aznd Aug., 19181 HAiG’S SECOND STROKE 727 attacking troops before the start. Zero hour was at dawn, 4.45 a m. For the sake of simplicity the troops were to assemble on the MCaulte-Etinehem road; the posts on the edge of the valley ahead would be withdrawn just before the barrage fell. The moon was bright, and the officers and scouts laying the tapes just ahead of the road could see the approaching battalions 800 yards away. At 2.30 a.m. a heavy German bombardment descended on the front line and lasted an hour. The left battalion (33rd) was kept as long as possible in the old trenches near Tailles Wood and then sent to the tapes in extended order. The bombardment came down again at 4 a.m., but the 33rd assembled in time with only 20 casualties; and south of it the 35th had only 6 men hit, though shells burst on the road and earth was constantly showered on the troops as they lay.35 The leading battalions of the 11th Brigade, however, coming up shortly afterwards to the support position behind the road lost 6 officers and about 60 men there.3e The creeping barrage3’ of the field artillery which fell at 4.45, 300 yards ahead, was good but, inevitably in such broken country, seemed rather ragged. The German counter barrage fell within two minutes, but the attacking troops had then got clear. The morning mist was just appearing and with the dust whipped from the dry ground, and the smoke of phosphorus and high explosive, it filled the valley with haze so dense that the men could barely see ten yards. A few German machine- gun posts fired till the troops were around them. On reaching the bottom of the valley the 33rd met several of them in a strong position but quickly outflanked and subdued them- it was found that headquarters of the forward battalion of the 124th I.R., with commander, staff, liaison officers, 40 men and 4 machine-guns had been captured. Gellibrand notes that when examined they “could speak of nothing but the rapidity with which our men were on them and round their machine- ’In front of the 33rd a German post smt up the signal for its artillery to len hen ran e which greatly to the relief of the 33rd the German artiller dit Some of (he 3rd Div.’s machine-gunners who were to Love in rear of the le& flank to rotect it (as was part of the light trench-mortar battery) suffered casualties in this sbing. WThe 43rd this day lost 4 officers and 45 others. the 44th--a officers and 28. Lt. A. Roger (Victoria Park, W.A) of the 44th was killed. Laid down by the artillery of the 3rd Aust. and 58th Divs. The rate of its advance was slow, IOO yards in four minutes. Its southern limit was zoo yards north of the Bray-Corbie road as posts of the 3rd Pioneer lay along the south of the road. Much smoke shell was therefore used there. 728 THE A.I.F. IN FkANCE [aand Aug., I~IG guns." The 35th was fired on from a copse on the edge of the plateau on its right but also quickly passed round it, taking 50 prisoners. The Australian flank was ahead of the 47th Division, and a German officer with 14 men from the British front pluckily attacked the flank from the rear; some of the 33rd turned about and killed or captured his whole party. There followed the long necessary wait of sixty-six minutes on the first objective, where a spur from the left ran down into the valley. The light became clear, and twenty minutes before the time for going on the German artillery shelled the valley with Masks were put on, and not till they had advanced for ten minutes in the second phase could the troops reach air clean enough to allow their removal. Colonel White of the 35th afterwards said that this, together with the long wait and the slow pace of the barrage, took the sting out of the attack and gave many Germans time to retire and establish theni- selves on the hill beyond Bray. Except at an old prisoners of war com- pound near the town few stayed to meet the attack. On the right of the 35th in this stage two companies of the 3rd Pioneers advanced down the steep open to the edge of Bray. The village was evidently held by machine-gunners. A number of pioneers were hit,"' and the posts established by the 35th and 33rd north of the town were continually harassed. Nevertheless a string of posts was placed reaching from the Somme bank around the west and north of the village and up the spur between the second and third prongs of the trident. On the left where a

It had a pmk hue and was said to be Austrian. aoPIate 525, Val. XII, shows them digging after this advance. Lt. J. McConncll (Galashiels, Scotland, and Melbourne) was killed there. zmd Aug., 19181 HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 729 very steep gully--“Happy Valley”-had to be crossed the 22nd London Regiment was but its flank company under Capt. Oakle~~~came on fast with the flank of the 33rd, with whose left company under Major Brodziak it dug itself in near a chalk quarry on the ridge. At Happy Valley the Germans resisted the Londoners, but one of the 47th Division’s tanks entered the gully from the south followed by the headquarters officers of the 22nd London and the Australian liaison officer and his two orderlies, ten in all, and seized the southern part. A hundred Germans at the northern end were then kept under fire until captured by the 23rd London. I11 Corps seized most of its objective, though with weak forces; but the two squadrons of 1/1st Northumberland Hussars, that tried to break through from the head of Happy Valley as soon as the protecting barrage ceased, were met with heavy machine-gun fire; a few survivors and many riderless horses galloping back along the ridge north of the Australian position, and a few others down the road towards Bray, cut to pieces by the machine-gunners there, exhibited to thousands of onlookers the stupidity of those who had ordered this impossible attempt.43 However the objective had been gained. Generals Monash and Gellibrand were now anxious to have parties pushed out farther to surround Bray, but Colonel White and Brig.-Genl. Goddard’s brigade major, J. H. F. Pain, knowing the strength of the machine-gun fire from Bray which by 8.30 stopped all movement of patrols and others near the place, stood stubbornly against it. The generals therefore decided to leave it to be taken later. So under the broiling sun of one of the hottest summer days experienced by them in France, the 35th and 33rd dug in, with the 34th at the mouth of Happy Valley behind them. South of Bray the pioneers, by means of a small punt, ferried their patrols across the Somme and esplored the low peninsula, but could not enter the village. The higher staffs busied them- “In the rjand Bde. (47th Div ) which had passed through the 140th at the first oh~ective some of the troops in touch with the Australians were uncertain whether or not they were to leap-frog at the first objective. “Capt. C. H. Oakley, M.C.; zznd Bn., The London Re@. Killed in action, a Sep. 1918. *A squadron of the 13th Light Horse Regt. was brought to Cressaire Wood but no farther. (See Vol SZI, Plate 523). 730 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [zznd-zsrd Aug., 1918

selves with plans for continuing the attack next day as part of the offensive then to be launched on a grand scale both north and south. General Monash, also, decided to increase the scope of his next day’s assault south of the Somme by attacking the bare, massive triangle of Froissy Beacon, that frowned at Bray across the river. At 1.15, however, observers on the slopes above Bray and elsewhere noticed numbers of German troops pouring in lines and groups out of Caftet Wood, near Carnoy, opposite the centre of the new I11 Corps front.44 Yet no sign of actual counter-attack disturbed that broiling afternoon until the posts of the 33rd Battalion (and with them Oakley’s company of the Londons) observ- ed the British posts north of them retiring across .Happy Valley. German infantry followed, the 33rd and Oak- ley’s company pouring into them the fire of every available weapon, but especially of German rifles, machine-guns and trench -m ortars which t 11 e men were deliEhted to * use, saving their own ammunition. The Germans within effective range were stopped, but those beyond followed the British back out of sight, in some places to the starting line of that morning’s attack. The commander of the aznd London, Lieut.- Col. Pargiter,4s eventually came across and placed himself and

u Lt.-Col. Morshead. 33rd Bn.. informed 9th Bde. H Q. of .this at 1.20 p.m. At 1.30 a British airman saw the movement and fired a signal after which the British artillery opened. The commander of the 14znd Bde. asked for a barrage beyond the final objective but was told this could not he given as ammunition was not up. “Lt.-Col. L L. Pargiter, D S 0 : Middlesex Re@. Commanded amd Bn. London Regt , Jiill-Sep 1918, 24th Bn., 0ct.-Dec 1913; b. hlultan, Punjab, India, j May 18Sg 2znd Aug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROBE 73 1 the remnant of his battalion under Lieut.-Col. Morshead of the 33rd. The commanders of the two support companies of the 33rd, Capts. Doig and had previously brought their troops close up behind the front line, and now one company moved to the flank, facing north. Capt. Cains’s company of the 34th47 rallied a score of Londoners, and, seeing the Germans appear over the linuckle west of Happy Valley, advanced north- ward astride the MCadte road. Fire from these troops stopped this enemy, who clustered in Happy Valley where Cains’s coni- pany-its own ammunition nearly spent, but using German rifles and three captured machine-guns-could not trouble them. Two other companies of the 34th came in on Cains’s flanks; the extreme left was in touch with part of the 37th Division, a quarter of a mile behind the first objective. Four Australian machine-guns covered the ground from the plateau west of Bray, and Capt. working with Maj. Pain, now obtained eight more. A company.of the 34th was still in close reserve. East of Bray at about 6 p.m. Germans, estimated at two battalions, came over the hill from Suzanne. Artillery and machine-guns at long range were turned on them ; the leading waves took shelter and the rest fell back. The 9th Brigade, among whose posts were perhaps 100 of the 2znd London, was now holding its complete objective, theoretically an impossible position squeezed between Bray and the heights to the north, but held by confident men.4a Brodziak at the dangerous angle, with his own company (2 officers and 31 men) and Oakley’s, reported, “Position not a good one, but can’t leave it.” The 47th Division with whom Gellibrand and his staff were in touch till late at night stated at 11.20 that their troops were too disorganised to attempt to regain the ground until the following afternoon but the first objective would be held by their reserve brigade. Gellibrand had already moved the 43rd and 44th Battalions of his 11th

Brig. C. E. Prior. 33rd Bn : commanded nnd/Ist M.G. Bn, A1.F. I 3940’ D.A G.. A T F., 1941. Duntroon graduate; of Manly, N S W.; b. Burrowa, dSW.: 19 Aug. 1895. -The company now comprised only 40 rifles “Lt-Col D A. Whitehead M.C. Commanded 23rd M.G. Coy. 1917.18* Adjt. 3rd M C Bn., Aug.-Dec. ’1915, commands zndland M G. Bn , A I.F., 1940: Duntroon graduate; of Mosman, N.S.W.. b. Leith, Scotland, 30 Sep. 1896. ‘9One message received at Div. H Q. by pigeon at 6 IO had sa~d.“send up reinforcements. Am surrounded on left flank and enfiladed by machine-guns. Very urgent.’’ But Br.-Cen. Goddard’s H.Q. considered this unduly alarmist 732 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [13th-mid Aug., 1918

Brigade into the line from which the 4;th Division had started, but at IO p.m. troops of the 47th arrived there and the Aus- tralians were withdrawn. At dawn next morning Brodziak, who was wounded but stayed at his post, reported: “the left flank is quite secure.” But the plan of continuing the advance on the 23rd had been cancelled. At 6.10 p.m. Monash had passed on an order from Rawlinsori that the 3rd Division must not attack the spur beyond Bray till the 47th came up. In this attack the 9th Brigade had 20 officers and 354 others It captured 13 officers and 245 men, mainly of the 27th (Wiirttemberg) Division. German records show that the front attacked by the 3rd Divn. was still held by the remnants of the 27th Divii., but its southern fank had been reinforced by survivors of the 43rd Reserve. North, in front of I11 Corps were still the 54th (Wurttemberg) Res. Divn. and the ~~3rdat Albert-all having taken part in the fighting of Aug. 8 and still forming the right of the German Second Army. Apparently, on Aug. 13 Second Army ordered that the main line of resistance must be the existing front, and all forces must be used to maintain it. But, in view of Ludendorff’s order that a withdrawal to the Somme must be prepared for,51 other positions were to be reconnoitred behind it. 011 Aug. 21, when the Third British Army attacked the Seventeenth German, it became clear that Second Army also might be forced back. That army issued a map showing six successive lines, largely along the old fronts of 1916. The present front was marked H.W.L.I.,52 and the others H.W.L. I1 to VI, the last running partly along the eastern bank of the Somme south of PCronne. H.W.L. I1 was now to be occupied at once by reserve troops. North of the Somme the 54th Corps ordered the first main line of resistance to be withdrawn to behind Bray, and the zone forward of this to be held only lightly. After Aug. PI an attack in this sector was expected, and (according to a captured trench-mortar officer) an Australian prisoner about Aug. 20th had given information of it. But the order for withdrawal at Bray was not fully carried out. The 124th I.R., holding the valley, sent back its trench-niortars and heaky machine-guns, but the infantry stayed, and the whole forward battalion and a company of the supporting one were captured53 The rest of the support battalion managed during a thickening of the mist to withdraw to a big engineer dump in the valley behind Bray. The withdrawn machine-gunners helped to shoot down the cavalry and aDDroDriated several riderless horses.

~ ‘OThe 33rd Bn. lost 8 officers and 9 others, 3 th 5 and 116; 3 th 3 and 71; 3rd Pioneers-4 and 49; 3rd hl G. C!oy--23 otkerranks In tteygrd Caf;: T. W. Tollis (Rockdale N.S W.) commandin the ri ht company and Alfred G. Farleigh (Arnclh, N.S.W).) were kille$ and in %e 35th Lt. S. A Ades (Sydney). 51See p. 663. 82 Hauptwrderstandrlriae-Main Line of Resistance. 63 Thm company was attacked by the tank at Happy Valley. zmd-z3rd Aug.. 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 733

To the north, behind the 54th Res. Divn., lay the 223th Divn., held for counter-attack. Its leading regiment, 116tl1, at Carnoy was ordered to counter-attack at once, but at this stage news of the spectacular repulse of the cavalry reached 54th Corps. It immediately ordered the whole 225th Divn. to profit by this “moment of enemy weakness” and drive the British back over their start line towards Morlancourt. The moment of weakness had passed six hours before these troqps could be brought up. but their centre reached the German main line held that morning. On the left, however, the IIII117th I.R. was held up after taking 100 prisoners. The 13th Divn. and 123rd I.R. (27th Divn.) were to have advanced on the northern and southern flanks respectively, but the 13th was too worn out for the attempt, and the 123rd made little headway.

Thus when the day for Haig’s big attack, August 23rd, dawned the I11 Corps was in a different situation from that intended.54 Although it had taken Albert and South of more than 2,000 prisoners, Rawlinson had to somme- The plan abandon his plan for a general advance from that sector, and the day’s offensive therefore comprised two separate advances-by the Third Army supported by the extreme left flank of the Fourth, aiming at Bapaunie, and by the Australian Corps south of the Somnie to reach the plateau beyond Froissy valley. The southern attack was made by only two divisions of the four holding the Australian Corps front. During the past fortnight the Corps had espanded to the size of an army, comprising (if the Liaison Force is counted) four divisions in line and three in support. At this juncture, though the Liaison Force was gone, it actually held eight: Third Army having struck, the Canadian Corps could be safely transferred from the S~mme,~~and, on the departure of Sir Arthur Currie on August 22nd, the 4th Canadian Division in line and the 1st behind it came temporarily under Monash. For a day and a half, the Corps held a front of 30,000 yards (17 miles).56 The attack was to be made by the two divisions south of the Somme, 32nd British and 1st Australian. The 32nd had to capture Herleville, involving an advance of 400 yards on the right and a mile on the left on a front of 2,000 yards. The 6LThird Army also had stood still on the aand, Gen. Byng, much against Haig‘s inclination, having used that day in reorganising for next day’s attack. mIts earlier departure would have shown that the offensive was being relaxed there. BY the irony of events Gen. Monash. commanding an army corps, constantly controlled more troops and far more important operations than dld hls prcdeces. nor. Gen. Birdwood, now raised to command an army. 734 THE A.1.F’. IN E’BANCE (23rd Aug., igrd

1st Australian Division was charged with the heaviest task, to advance 2,000-3,000 yards on a front of 5,000, seizing the valley, woods, and edge of the plateau beyond. At the northern end, the triangular plateau behind Froissy Beacon, with its almost precipitous sides and largely bare, level top overlooking the valleys north, south-west, and east, was to be left for a special operation ; but, as already mentioned, it had now been decided to carry out this second operation on the same day. South of Herleville also the 32nd Division would extend its front of attack by advancing from the old French support trench to the old front line; the flank of the 4th Australian Division farther south would conform. The main attack would be macle by one brigade (97th) of the 32nd Division and two brigades (2nd and 1st) of the 1st Australian, each assisted by a dozen Mark V tanks and several carrier tanks. Half of the 32nd Division’s tanks would, if possible go on to assist the Australians after the ~2nd’~task was finished. Tanks had become more precious and they were not to be allowed to roam the plateau afterwards, but must be sent back “automatically” half an hour after the main advance finished. The 1st Division would have to seize the plateau, wooded slopes, and gullies west of Froissy valley before attacking up the steep eastern side. It was therefore arranged that the barrage followed by the 1st and 2nd Brigades should pause for fifteen minutes in the valley before passing up the eastern slope. The Australian brigadiers (Generals Heane and Iven Mackay) decided that their leading battalions (two in each brigade) should continue to lead 23rd Aug., 19181 HAIG'S SECOND STROKE 735 throughout, the others moving up in close support or reserve. At the top of the eastern slope lay the trenches of the old French reserve lines, with the old wire still ahead of them. To avoid the possibility of the troops having to cross this wire under machine-gun fire, Monash changed his plan so as to place the objective for the formal advance behind it?7 The general rate of advance of the barrage would be roo yards in three minutes.s8 Smoke screens would shut out Froissy Beacon and also the heights north of it beyond the Somme and to screen tanks and infantry during the advance there would be ten per cent \We,& of smoke shell in the barrage. When Monash resolved to seize rS on the same day the Froissy $ plateau, he and Maj.-General Glasgow decided to carry this out 1 with the 3rd Brigade moving ; through on the northern flank i, shortly after the main attack. But .! there was to be an interval in which the 1st Brigade would follow up its formal attack by steal- ing, if possible, another 1.000 yards, and so gaining a foothold at the steep south-western corner of Froissy plateau. The 3rd Brigade would pass through and

mThis change brought immediate protest from Rr.-Gen. Heane of the and Bde who said-rightly, as events proved-that the gully's edge could be made untenable by the Germans shelling the valley and woods behind It with gas Monash accordinKly aurhorised Heane to extend his hold by exploitation. if possible, after the barrage ended. WThe first three lifts would be quicker, 100 yards in a minutes. "The artillery acting directl under the artillery commander of the corps (Br -Gen Coxen) .comprised the &llowing. Under Zst Aust. Dcw. (Br.-Gen. S. M. Anderson)-nine brigades as follows: Right Group (Lt.-Col. H. W. Lloyd) 12th Army Bde. A.FA., agrd Army Bde.. R.FA.. and 1st and and Bdes. A.F.A. Left Group (Lt -Col. H. 0. Cadd)) 13th and 14th Bdes.. A.F.A., 16th and 5th Army Bdes. R.H A. 298th Army Dde. R FA. (the last two forming a left sub-group under Lt.-Col. A. H. D. West, R H A.) Under 32nd Div. (Br.-Gen J A Tyler)-six brigades: Right Group (1.t - Col. Lord Wynford) 1615t and 189th Bdes, R F.A. Centre Group (Lt -Col H W. RiKKall) 5th and 4th Bdes.. A F.A. Left Group (Lt.-Col. C.R.B. Carrington) 14th Army and 168th Bdes. R.F.A. The artillery of the 4th Div. (10th and 11th Bdes. and 3rd and 6th Army Bdes.. A.F A.) and 3rd Div. (7th and 8th Bdes., A FA. and 58th Dtv. Art.) were independently commanded during the action. 736 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [xst-qrd Aug., 1918 seize the rest. At the last moment it was decided that both these operations, like the first, would be covered by creeping barrages. The two brigades of the 1st Division allotted for the first attack marched up from their rest positions near Corbie on the night of August 21st and took over from the rear units of the 5th Division the support positions, then in the old Aniiens line from MCricourt to the Roman road. On the night of the aand they advanced to their starting positions, those of the actual attacking battalions being along a line taped behind the outposts, while the support battalions started at varying distances behind them. The tank force-three composite companies from the much used 8th. ~gth,and 2nd Tank Battalions-was forced to scamp the overhaul of its machines, and came up cautiously between dark (9.30 p.m.) and I a.m., using the methods of Hamel and August 8th.60 As before August 8th, tank officers had come up and lived with the battalions. Every tank carried an infantry scout. In the grey of dawn on August 23rd all 36 tanks were arriving close behind the waiting infantry when at 4.45 the tremendous barrage fell. The last patrols and outposts of the 5th Division screening the assembled troops had been withdrawn fifteen minutes before.e1 This attack, south of the Soninie, though delivered by only two divisions, was one of the hardest blows ever struck by Australian troops. To describe it from the The attack north southwards-although other battalions started on fronts of about 1,000 yards, the left battalion (1st) of the 1st Brigade assembled on a front of 1,500 and had to establish a diagonal line 3,000 yards long, forming the northern flank, mainly along the valley. On the right, where the troops were eventually to climb the far side of the valley, the 1st Battalion was reinforced by an attached company of the 3rd,

“The first part of the approach, as far as Morcourt gully was carried out by most tanks on the night of the zIst hut Mal H. R.’ Pape’s composite company 13th Tank Bn. (supporting the’ 2nd Aus;. Inf. Bde.) was allowed to go siraight up from Cerisy valley on the final night. The last part of this journey to the “tank start-line,’ 1,000 yards behind the front was made with engines throttled down. At 4.30 the tanks moved towards the front. To drown the noise aeroplanes flew over during all these movements. 01 Owing to the irregularity of the front, the tape line had to be drawn in many parts a quarter of a mile behind the outposts. amd-ajrd Aug., 19181 HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 737 which would pass through at that stage. On the left in the first advance the Somme flats, and Luc Wood on the slope leading down to them, were not to be attacked.02 When the barrage fell Capt. Withy’sS8 company of the Ist, forming the left flank of the attack, made along the spur north- west of Chuignolles, led by two tanks at a great pace. Most of the German outposts, met at a few hundred yards’ distance, fled but halted and surrendered after a few shots had been fired at them. The left platoon had the hardest fighting since, though it rushed the nearest strong-point, the Germans farther down the slope towards the Sonime kept it under heavy fire. The 59th Battalion (5th Divn.) was still holding a few posts north of the front of attack, and gave most valuable help . .- by sending a platoon under Lieut. McKay to rush a strong German post there simultan- eously with the 1st Battalion’s advance. Covered by the barrage which extended to the Soinme, this party seized the post, killing 7 Germans and capturing 13 and 2 machine-guns. But the field- guns only protected each part of the attacking line for fifteen minutes after it reached its objective, and Germans in Luc Wood, farther on, maintained severe fire, shooting a number of the 1st as they dug in.e4 The centre company of the 1st under Capt. Steenes similarly fought its way down the knuckle south of Chuignolles following a tank along the spur south of the village. This tank and one firing from the spur north of the village routed

-The plans concernin the exploitation stage, in which this wood was to be seized, were twice aTtered on Aug. za owing to changes of plan in the operations north of the river, but this was their final effect. “Lt-Col. C. B. Withy, DS.0. MC, 1st Bn; and znd/?Sth Bn. A.I.F, 1940; Cadet draughtsman; of Mosman, N S W.; b. St. Leonards, lu S W.. 30 Jan. 1893 ULt. W. V. Fowler, (Randwick, N.S.W. and Melbourne) and two NC.0’8 were wounded at this stage. a Capt. G. Steen. 1st Bn. Civil servant; of Annandale, N.S W.; h. Bendigo. Vic, a Sep. 1888. 35 738 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [23rd Aug., 1918

the enemy out of it. Parties of infantry worked through the back gardens, avoiding the main street till later, when a small party of Withy's company working backwards cleared the place from the eastern end.66 South of this came the right company of the Ist, followed by the attached company of the 3rd under Capt. McDermid. McDermid felt that the troops ahead of him were following the tanks at too great a distance, allowing German machine-gunners to reopen fire after these had passed.87 He accordingly pushed through into the valley. From a copse in it (one of the Arcy Woods) to his right front, ran a number of Germans. The company passed north of it, the Germans ahead fleeing up the farther slope with the barrage bursting over their backs. ; As this was the line on which now (at 5.33), three-quarters of an hour after the start, the barrage was to remain for fifteen minutes, McDerniid withdrew his company north of the little wood and waited for the guns to lift. South of him the 4th Battalion 0n.a narrower front, with two companies attacking and two supporting, was faced by Robert and Matto Woods on the valley's edge. The position seemed strong and many Germans were there, but as soon as tanks or infantry passed their flanks they surrendered.8s The infantry followed the barrage closely to the objective, the tanks roving about and their commanders constantly asking the com-

Chuignolles village and the valley beyond are shown in Vol. XII, Plates 528-9. The party that cleared it was under L.-Cpl. E A. J. Davis (Arncliffe, N.S.W ). Sat. N. H. Osmand (Albury, N.S W.), going along the main street, had a tussle with four Germans of whom he killed two and wounded one. The other escaped. (He had already been wounded twice iil Galllpoli and on three occasions in France, and suffered a further wound in the battalion's last fight, on Sep. 18.) 07 Lt. D. J. Burrin (Terramungamine, Dubbo, N S W.) of this company had been killed early in the advance through getting into the Australian barrage. aIn one wood L -Cpl. J. G. Budge ("Glen Ewan." Wauchope, N.S W.) with a Lewis gun outflanked them. Those in Robert Wood continued to fire into McDermid's rear and a few of the 3rd, sent back to mop up, captured zo in a dugout. ~3rdAug., 19181 HAIGS SECOND STROKE 739 pany commandersG9for fresh tasks. In the valley the 4th also waited for the barrage to lift. The 2nd Brigade, attacking astride the Roman road, had the heaviest task that morning. Along the whole front of its left battalion, the 5tl1, the slope to the valley was covered by St. Martin’s Wood,70 three-quarters of a mile wide and in parts a mile deep. The right battalion was faced by smaller scattered woods and by two valleys (Rainecourt and Herle- ville gullies) into which the main valley here split, and the knoll between them at the Roman road. It had been arranged that, of the brigade’s twelve tanks, two should work round the northern edge of St. Martin’s Wood, four would go through it. and two, from the southern battalion’s front, round its southern edge; the tanks passing round the wood were, if possible, to cut off the enemy in it. The 2nd Brigade had assembled with its support battalions, 8th and 7th, nearly a mile behind the attacking ones, the 6th and 5th, it having been noted that the German artillery constantly laid its barrage on the plateau between. Several times in the night, between 2 and 4 a.m., the German outpost screen about the Roman road had fired flares bringing down t hi s barrage : and at dawn, several minutes before the Australian barrage fell, the posts west of St. Martin’s Wood did the same. It was guessed that they had heard the tanks. These barrages descended behind the 5th Battalion hut caught the rear of the 6th, and the two support battalions had to move through a curtain of shell-fire which had increased when the attack was launched.71

40Capt. D. W. Isaacs (Sydney) and Lt A L. Malone (Narrahri, N.S W.: died 7 Nov. 1938). Man) Germans were captured in a sunken road leading to the valley. 70 Known to the Germans as the “Bayernwald,” “Bavarian Wood ” 71 In the left siipgort company of the 6th all officers except Lt. L. S Cuzens (Warrnambool, Vic ) were hit. 740 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE t23rd Aug., ~grg

The platoon commanders tried to pick the gaps between the shells, but in that area dust and smoke were so thick that men could see only some io0 yards. Yet they came steadily through with about 40 casual tie^.^^ Several tanks here were hit or broke down; others did not catch up the line till it had gone some distance. On the left of the 5th, when machine-guns fired, single men were twice seen to run straight out, fifty yards, chancing everything, and kill the gunners.73 Capt. Burke, who had begged not to be left out of this fight, ran from place to place, keeping the advance rolling, until he was killed by a chance shell of the supporting artillery. But it was not till half a mile from the start that the wood loomed clearly out of the smoke, and the real resistance began. In front of the first outlying copse Capt. O'S~llivan'~of the right support company was killed. Stokes mortars under Lieut. Darling76 were with the advancing troops, and at several points they suppressed machine-guns. But now the tanks were the chief help. Their officers afterwards reported that St. Martin's Wood was very strongly held and that the German machine-gunners there fought with great bravery. Lieut. Rihche~ter~~says that his tank found about twenty machine-guns on 100 yards' front and only "after a desperate fight" could he destroy them or drive off the crews. One or two tanks headed into the middle of the wood along a field-tramway. Farther north the Ieft company of the 5th went straight in. The right company and part of the 6th entered at the southern edge and pushed through towards the left. In the wood the tanks could not keep pace and the support battalions streaming in rounded up, for hours to come, scores of Germans who remained there. During the fifteen minutes' halt, which took place in the wood, a man of the 7th played a piano found in a hut in one of the glades. - At the edge of the wood and elsewhere anti-tank field-guns

"The German barra e was oo yards. deep, The 8th Bn. had about 30 men hit (Capt. G. E. JAnston, o? Colac, Vic, killed) and the 7th nine. 78S+t: H. Kelt \East Richmond Vic.) thus captured two machine-guns and Cpl. Moore ( oc hampton, Q'lanh) captured one. 1' Capt. B. M. O'Sullivan. 5th Bn. Medical student; of Richmond, Vic.; b. Yarrawonga, Vic , 23 Sep. 1894 Died of wounds, 23 Aug. 1918. 76 Lt J W Darlin M.C 2nd A L.T.M. Bty. Grazier; of Glenaroua district, Vic ; b. Hawthorn, fic., ~a"Jdy1894 7sLt. W. A. Rihchester, 13th Tank Bn. 23rd Aug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 74 1 were passed. They had been useless in the smoke and most of the crews had fled.77 The 6th Battalion, which should have been mainly south of the Roman road, headed too far north, attacking the southern endof St. Martin‘s Wood and the knoll between the valleys at the Roman road. Its right did not sweep clean St. Denis Wood, in which So Germans were only subdued when a tank circled it under intense fire78 and the 8th Battalion came up. The 6th met intense fire from the copses known as “Herleville Woods” on the eastern side of the knoll; from two small woods-Plateau Woods North and South-on the level crest beyond the second gully; and from a hutted hospital south of the road where it climbed from that gully. The troops could hear heavy firing 1,200 yards up this gully, in Herleville, which the 10th Argyll and Sutherland High- landers, forming the left of the 32nd Division, were then clearing.79 The 32nd Division’s left brigade (97th) had attacked Herleville with two battalions. The men of the right one, 2nd K.O.Y.L.I., when lying on their starting tapes 32nd could see in the bright moonlight the trees at Division the Crucifix and village, their objective.80 They took it with slight loss, but the Highlanders, who had farther to go, found, like the Australians, stubborn resistance in the woods in Herleville gully south of the Roman road. Of the Highlanders’ left nothing could at first be heard. Farthest south, in the subsidiary advance, where the front was already

At the southern end of St. Martin’s Wood a gun fired, but one of the shells hit the ground fifty yards from the muzzle. Its sides were pltted with bright new bullet marks.

*Q Headquarters of the 6th Bn. in the chalk plt on the knoll found itself sniped from the rear. A runner Pte. R. C. Knape (Burnley, Vic.) and L.-Cpl G. Soreadboroueh (Melbourne) crossed the Roman road. got behind these Germans, and, after shooting 5, brought in 7 including an officcr. “They could also hear the tanks approaching. 742 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [zsrd Aug., 1918 in the old trench network, the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers (96th Bde.) seized the German front line facing its left but could not get in on the right; the bombing party of the 16th Austra- lian Battalion under Lieut. Garratt, which worked up Courtine Alley and Trench to join the Fusiliers’ flank, was met with a stick-bomb flying over from the trench where that flank should have been. Courtiiie Trench here branched around an “island,” but both branches were blocked with wire. Bombing across the “island” Garratt, Sergt. Robbins,81 and their men began a long fight with the enemy beyond. Although it anticipates the day’s events, the remarkable out- come of this fight may be told here. After an hour’s bombing Garratt had gone back for more grenades McCarthy when the company commander, Lieut. Mc- Carthy,82 came up to see what was wrong. When told that the bomb supply of two companies was nearly spent he said there was only one thing to do-to charge the obstacle. Although the Germans had set up a machine-gun almost enfilading the Australian trench, and looking over the block McCarthy could see several other posts within fifty yards, he and Sergt. Rohbins scrambled quickly round the block into the sap beyond, and two British soldiers (sergeant and privates3) leapt over into a hole from which they could tunnel be- neath the block and open up communication behind the two Aus- flier tralians. Meanwhile McCarthy with Robbins went on, shot a sentry at a trench junction beyond, and taking the risk that Germans would come in there behind him, pushed on. Round a bend McCarthy came on the machine-gunners firing at the Australians farther back. He shot them, and around another bend found himself looking

~ 81 Sgt F. Rohbms. D CAI AI hI (No. 1807’ 16th Bn.) Locomotive cleaner; of Murray Bridge, SA.; h.’ P;ospect. ’SA, 27 Jdne 1887. “Lt. L. D. McCarthy, V.C., 16th Bn Contractor; of Lion Mill (now Mt. Helena), W.A.; b. York, W.A., ar Jan. 18ga. ea From the lraison party attached to the 16th’~flank. 23rd Aug., 19181 HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 743 on the back of a Gernian officer who was waving his arms at a crowd of men scuffling in all directions. hlcCarthy shot the officer, and the men bolted into a short, narrow sap on the right. Into this McCarthy and Robbins threw the last of their nine hlills bombs and then showered German ones. Just then the two British soldiers arrived, having dug their tunnel. The Germans’ heads were being kept down by Lewis guns. Pre- sently a bloodstained handkerchief waved from the sap; 40 Germans came in as prisoners; 15 more had been killed. Robbins, with two Lewis gun crews, was sent along the trench to the neighbourhood of a group of huts in the old No-Man’s Land, and from there Lieut. Garratt walked across to meet the Fusiliers whom he could see coming up trenches on the northern flank. McCarthy by his personal action had seized 500 yards of German front, an achievement which, next to that of Lieut. Jacka at Pozikres, was perhaps the most effective feat of individual fighting in the history of the A.I.F.; 700 yards of captured trench were handed over to the British.84

Long before this in the central sector the pause of the artillery came to an end, at 5.48, and the 2nd Brigade and the right of the 1st moved on to scale the eastern On to slopes of Froissy valley. The 5th Battalion the Plateau and the left of the 6th, which had been waiting in St. Martin’s Wood for the barrage, now pushed on to the edge of the wood which here clothed the valley slope away to beyond sight. The piano could still be heard tinkling behind them. Parties emerging at the northern end found one of the tanks, which during the halt had driven through the ba;rage, cruising down the valley froin the north, shooting with its six-pounder into the mouths of dugouts and shelters behind the wood. The Germans who were penned there in great numbers were largely left for the support battalions to force out and collect. The left of the 5th together with part of the 4th (1st Bde.) crossed the gully and went straight up the very steep slope there without opposition ; but

~~~ ~ ~ 84 hleasured in a straight line: the actual trench was longer Of thls, zoo \.ards had been seized by Garratt’s party. As Germans still threw bombs froin {he huts Capt. Aarons. who camc up. left some of his N C 0’s among the young British troops, and cventually had the huts burnt out with phosphorus bombs hIcCarth was aaarded the Victoria Cross In the I th Bn whlch also swiine up its le& flank this day, Lt. E. A. Hall (Ryde, N.S.d.) was’mortally wounded. 744 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [~gdAug., 1918 the right companies, after clearing some of the enemy from behind the found that a machine-gun away to the right on the reverse slope of the knoll at the Roman road was sweeping the valley, making the crossing most perilous. The men accordingly were worked across, one or two at a time into the shelter of , dugouts and old trenches on the eastern slope. When enough had gathered, they began to climb, but another machine- gun opened from the old French earthworks near the top, hitting several and again stop- ping the advance. Two or three old communication trenches, however, led up the hill, and creeping through these the troops destroyed the machine-gun with a rifle-grenade, and then swarmed to the top and into the small Plateau Wood North. The old French emergency line lay just beyond the eastern end of the two Plateau copses, but any attempt to reach it was met with fire- described by two eyewitnesses as “terrific”-f rom trenches just beyond the southern wood, 150 yards north of the Roman road. Meanwhile the 6th Battalion, crossing near the Roman road, lost many officers and men through these machine-guns, especially one which, from the top of the slope, swept the 300 yards of open flat at its foot. Sergt. Woodnortha6 and a lance- corporal almost reached the strong-point at Plateau Wood South, but were killed, as was the Regimental Sergeant-Major, T. W. Gaston,sT far ahead of the line. A tank coming from the southern end of St. Martin’s Wood climbed the slope but

=Set. Clarke .and one man of Lt Volum’s company took 60 prisoners, inclnding a battalion commander, from dugouts there. M Sgt. W. N. Woodnorth (No 569. 6th Bn ). Blacksmlth. of Fitzroy, Vic., and Auckland, N.Z., 1890 Killed in action, a3 Aug. 1918. WLt. T. W. Caston. M S.hI , 6th Bn. Foreman boot machine operator: of Clifton Hill. Vic , b N. Fitzroy, Vic.. 18 Apr. 1883. Killed in action, a3 Aug 1918. (He did not know of his promotion to lieutenant.) 4 36. PRISONERSCOMING UP THE VALLEY NORTH OF BRAY ON ZZND AUGUST, 1918 .-litst JI or 1Iemoriol Ofir~alPhoto .\Io E1951

37. THE SCENE OF LIEUT.MCCARTHY’S ESPLQIT The photograph aas taken on 26th December. 1918 from almost the saine point of view as the sketch on p ;52 Avst Il.ar Mrmorid Ofiriel Photo A o E.1~823 To face fi. 745. 23rd Aug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 745 capsized in a trench at the top. Part of the 6th got across the gully to the hospital huts, but Capt. Johnstonsa of the right company and all his officers were hit and many troops were held up on the Knoll. The sound of firing and the sight of soiiie of the 5th driven back north of the road brought up Lieut. Joynt of the support battalion (Sth), whose platoon was lying in Rainecourt gully, south of the road. He with his batinan (Pte. NewmanP found some of the 6th in a sunken road on the Knoll hesitating to cross. Joynt urged them out and they went,DO but as they did not appear on the next crest, “We’ll have to go on,” he said to Newman, “and ginger them up again.” He then caught sight of them near the top of the opposite slope, held up by the in- =s-. tense fire from Plateau Wood -2_- South to which additional Ger- at&

mans were creeping along the ~m~n~~s*@~mmreauIAbm(ff’ % Rat.%” 4-/SI main road. At this stage a ,Ac*. . % la brother officer of the 8th, Lieut. McGinn, came along Herleville gully with fifteen of his platoon. The German machine-gun above the flat was still firing. The rattle of a Lewis gun joined in and then both guns stopped and a shout went up, “We’ve got him.” McGinn’s Lewis gunner had shot the German machine-gunner. Joynt decided to seize the wood, and with McGinn’s party went safely northwards across the road capturing on the way a German aid-posP and 50 prisoners. To secure covering fire for his attack Joynt searched back for the left of the 6th, and asked Lieut. DarbyQ2to occupy the sunken road on the Knoll and open fire on Plateau Wood “like blazes.” Darhy leapt at the scheme. Joynt and McGinn gave themselves fifteen minutes to get into position. They

88 Capt J. D Johnston, bl C.. 6th Bn. School teacher, of Caulfield, Vic.; b. Whitehaven, Eng., 31 Mar 1587. soPte T. Newman (No. 5181; 8th Bn). Blacksmith’s striker; of Melbourne; h. Barking. Eng., 1897. mThey were under a new officer who was uncertain how to make the,,passage. A fine sergeant was urging, “We must do it sometimebetter do it now Joynt advised the officer to go “anyhow-by rushes of 25 yardsl” which he did. The two doctors there said they would stay and look after the Australian woiinded and their own, and did so OgMa‘ H. F. Darby, 6th Bn. Accountant, of Hawthorn. Vic.. b. Launceston. Tas., 18 Mar. 1894. 746 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [ajrd Aug., 1918 worked through a trench across the plateau passing abandoned niachhe-guns, dead Germans, and dugouts full of enemy who would not fight. Joynt, leading, was trying to extract some of these when he heard a rustle farther along the trench and there were 20 Germans coming with rifles held across their chests. His revolver at once covered the leading man, who dropped lis rifle and held up his hands. The others followed suit. Two Victorians escorted then] to the gully. Joynt had lined out his men along the trench facing the wood. But fifty yards lay between and, despite the advice of a red-headed Digger who urged. ”Let’s rush the bloody thing,” Joynt knew that a machine-gun there would sweep the ground. He had to restrain the nien while he cast about for a sm,;n, better approach. He soon found a trench leading straight to the wood and to the machine-gun. ._ . They crept up it, a very brave Digger in the lead, when a cry went up, “They’re running.” The Germans had broken. The party rushed after them, and in a dugout twenty yards inside the wood captured a dozen. Ten yards from it lay Sergt. Wood- north’s body. Joynt went across to Capt. PermezeP3 at the northern wood and the line was established east of both The German side of this fighting is fully described in the history of the 52nd R.I.R. which (as will be explained later) held a narrow front astride the Roman road,.. Its 2nd Machine-gun Company-six heavy guns under Res.-Lt. konig-was posted on the eastern side ;f the valley opposite St. Martin’s Wood as reserve of the 213th Bde.; two guns of the 3rd Company were on their southern flank. Two of Konig’s guns had been with the divisional trench-mortar company at Plateau Wood South (the German “Brigadewald”) : but when the attack began he stationed them all on the edge of the valley. It was these, together with a machine-gun and some engineers (213th Pion. Coy-also brigade reserve) on the Knoll at the Roman

mCapt. E. G de T. Perrnezel, M.C., 5th Bn. Insurance clerk, of E. Malvern, Vic.; b. Caulfield, Vic.. 7 May 1694. Joynt then returved to his company to find that its leader, Lt. C. V. Findlay (Ballarat. Vic ), had been kllled and he himself was in command. Soon afterwards he was ordered by Col. hlitchell to reinforce the very position that he had captured. He was awarded the Victoria Cross. ~3rdAug., 19181 HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 747 road (“Hermannsberg”) , that first stopped the Australians crossing the valley; the headquarters and aid-post of the Ilgand in the valley were captured.*s Lt. Mathesius, adjutant of the II/5md, who had managed to get back to the regiment’s headquarters In the sunken road behind Plateau Wood South was then sent up to Konig, taking batmen and all men available. Konig was troubled by the attack of the 6th Bn. through the hospital camp alohg the southern edge of the Roman road, behind his left flank. An officer sent by him with two machine-guns to Plateau Wood South was badly wounded, and one gun carrier killed. Konig brought in the gun, and about 6 o’clock, hearing that Australians had got into the wood, he rushed thither and himself shot the one or two who reached it. About 7.25 (he says) the Australians crossed the valley south of him. Being outflanked there he placed Mathesius’ party-now 70 strong through the arrival of some machine-gun crews of the 3rd Company- in a sap facing south while his own machine-gunners fell back on another sap leading from his wood towards the northern wood. Three attacks from the northern wood were, he says, beaten back with great loss, but at 7.30 a thrust, apparently by Joynt’s party and also south of the Roman road, drove him fifty yards back upon Mathesius. The right of the 6th at the hospital had left behind it some of the Herleville woods, separate copses, containing numbers of Germans; and others were in the long, deep communication trenches leading to the plateau west of Foucaucourt. During the morning parties of Ger- mans actually worked down some of these trenches into the gully north of Herleville. On the left of the 32nd Divi- sion, a staff officer, R4aj. Wyl~I,9~who went to Herle- ville to find why no news arrived from there, ascertained that a gap existed between the 32nd and the Aus- tralianse7-the left company of the Highlanders was north of it with the 6th Australian Battalion. Wyld formed what men

One of its medical officers, Unterarzt Tannenberg. was slightly wounded during his day-long effort for the wounded of both sides. m Maj. J. W. G. Wyld, D.S O., hf.C.; Oxford and Bucks L. I. G S 0. a, 35th Div.. 1918; G.S.O. 2, 32nd DIV. 1918-19; Bde.-Maj. N. Russian Relief Force, 1919; b. 6 Jan. 1896. 07The commander of the 97th Bde. expressed himself as very pleased with the swlftness and accuracy of the information also sent him by the forward observers of the 2nd Aust. Divl Artiller which was supportinn him but It was not obtained without loss Lieht T. d Rowan (hlerredin, Q.A.)’ of the 4th Aust. F.A. Bde., went up to ascertain where the front lay but was never again seen alive. 748 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [23rd Aug., 1918 he could find into a flank facing northwards, and both the British and Australian brigadiers ordered support troops to be used in clearing the German nests from this gap. Already, however, at 8 o’clock Col. Mitchell (8th Bn.), having a general instruction to help the 6th, had gone to this gully. A fierce fire fight was raging ; he could see no sign of the contending troops, but could judge the position of his own side by the sound of Lewis guns. Germans were clearly in Herleville woods between and behind them. By gradual fighting the reinforcements cleared these woods, and after noon mainly by Lewis gun fire cleared the communication trenches,e8 and worked up them into line with the 6th in the hospital and the British farther south. They were then on their objective, but the fire on the plateau at the Roman road was so intense that no ground could be stolen there by “exploitation.”g8 In the 1st Brigade’s sector also the edge of the plateau had to be seized at this stage, but only as far north as the entrance of Chuignes gully. While the 4th Battalion waited along the western slope it had been fired on by Germans lining the opposite heights, who could see through the dust of the protective barrage. When the advance recommenced the support companies “leap-f rogged” over the front companies, but the right, under Capt. Macalpine, was stopped by the enemy’s fire.loO On the left, however, Capt. Newth’sl company ran across the flat to the shelter of the opposite slope, and going straight up the steep hill entered the old trenches on the crest. Macalpine’s company was still held up, but L.-Corpl. King? of Newth’s flank platoon crawled out and found a strong German post in trenches half way down the slope busily firing at Macalpine’s company. He shot the two machine-gunners, and rushed the position, capturing twenty men. m6th Bn. H.Q. also sniped with marked effect from the Knoll. “KBnig says the Australians at one time passed the alignment of the sunken road behind him. A few Germans remained behind the Australian lines till evening. one party firing with a trench-mortar on to the Knoll. About 4 pm. three High- landers, returning from the Australian flank, captured 50 Germans in Herlevillc Wood In St. Martin’s Wood a hidden sniper fired all day on distant men crossing the tramline; when men were near him he lay quiet. 1mLt. C. H. Guan (Dulwich Hill, N.S W.) was killed. 1 Caot. F. W. Newth. M C.. 4th Bn. Stock aud station agent, of Mosman. N S W ; b. Sydenham. N.S.W., a3 May 1890. a Cpl. R. C. King. D C.M. (No. 7496; 4th Bn.). Engine-driver; of North Shore, Geelong, Vic.; b. Camberwell, Vic., 16 Jan. 1888. ~3rdAug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 749

Macalpine’s company now crossed the valley. Germans above them, already outflanked by Newth’s company, gave way. On the crest a party still resisted, but Newth called up a tank from the valley. It made a detour to the left and seized this post also.3 Other Germans in a communication trench were over- cotne and the 4th passed over the crest into a small gully beyond. ’ Just then, hearing a chatter of machine-guns in the sky, the men looked up. Two British aeroplanes were there, firing white flares, a warning of counter-attack. From the edge of Lapin Wood, 500 yards ahead, came a company of Germans. Newth’s Lewis gunners fired at them, and both sides raced ahead to reach the Chuignes-Foucaucourt road, beyond the small gully. The 4th reached it first, the Germans dropping into some trenches 100 yards away where they were captured by a patr01.~ Next to the 4th, RlcDermid’s company of the 3rd attacked the heights south of the opening of Chuignes valley. But, apparently through the error of one battery, the barrage continued to burst there. McDermid accordingly held his men for the moment in the valley. Germans on old camp ledges high on the bluff known as “Gibraltar,” overlooking Chuignes valley from the north, were firing on the flats; but two tank commanders swung their machines broadside to the fire, and McDermid, with maps spread behind this shelter, arranged with them and with two artillery observing officers5 a plan for taking the spur when the guns lifted.” At 6.30, when the whole

8Sgt. J. Taylor (Petersham, N.S.W.) and the left platoon went with it. ‘Under Lt. T. J. Perkins. It captured a5 Germans and a machine-guns. In the valley were some German artillery officers and a battery, its guns still hot. ‘Possibly Lts. L. C. McCarthy (Mosman, N.S.W.) 53rd Bty. and J. T. V. Smith (Lower Mitcham, S.A.) 113th Bty. Lt. C. B. Thorne, whose section of the 55th Bty. pushed up at 6 z3 to near Proyart, accompanied the 4th Bn. a During this halt the intelligence officer Lt. C. 0. Clark, came up and said that in one of the woods in the valley beside them (known as Arcy Woods) was a huge gun. It was found by several parties-L.-Cpls. J. T. Conmee (Sydney) and J. N. Doughty (Tumbarumba N S.W.), and independently by some of Lt. Mitchell’s platoon. 1st Bn. The‘gun. which was of 14-inch calibre. had been blown u the barrel lying in front of its immense mounting. It was the largest tkat fired on Amiens and had heen shooting since early in June. The 750 THE A.I.F. IN FR.4NCE [23rd Aug., 1918 barrage ended, the tanks and the company went on, covered by Vickers machine-guns which shot over their heads at the Germans on Gibraltar. In spite of heavy German fire the spur south of Chuignes valley was climbed. From a copse upon it invisible machine-guns opened but a tank cruised round the wood shooting; Germans bolted from the trees to Chuignes and up Gibraltar heights. The company crept into the copse and finished the work. and by 7.10 the spur was captured. But this was also the time, after the barrage ended, when under another barrage7 the exploitation to Gibraltar should have been in progress. Two additional companies of the 3rd whkh were to seize this foothold had come up and-in effect- they extended northwards the front of McDermid’s attack. After deploying on the flat by the railway they tried to advance but were met by a hurri- cane of fire including that of an anti-tank field-gun using grape-shot. Two field-guns near Garenne Wood pounded the right. Except by one approach Gibraltar was too steep for the tanks and that approach was covered by the anti-tank gun. Lieut. Jackson’ss company tried to move past McDermid’s flank into Chuignes, but Jackson was hit and the fire was so intense that McDermid withdrew all except a few small posts from the spur he had captured. Capt. CorniackJ0 directing his company towards the hospital huts at the foot of Gibraltar slope, was killed at the railway; and the advance stopped. At first barrel had been reolaced and the new one was readv hv Aun. 7. After fir&-# shells it was hestroyed by the Germans on thb m&ning- of the 8th. Both oughty and Conmee entered these woods while Germans were still there. and were fired on hy members of a battalion staff. whom they captured. The gun is shown in Vol. XII. Plate 531, but the statement there that its position was previously unknown 1s an error. 7McDermid knew nothinn of the order for this barrage. 8Lt. E H Jackson D C-M.: 3rd Bn. Station overseer: of Hillston and St. Mary’s. h.S.W.; b. Bond;,“ S.W., 23 Aug. 1885. BCapt. A. G. Cormack. 3rd Bn. Builder: of Ryde. N S W , b. Caithness, Wick, Scotland, 4 Aug. 18;g. Killed in action. 23 Aug 1918. ~3rdAug., 19181 HAIG'S SECOND STkOKE 75i

McDermid's request Gibraltar and Garenne Wood were there- upon shelled (apparently by the 16th Brigade, R.H.A.) and Cormack's company, now under Lieut. Sturt,lo managed to withdraw and reorganise in Arcy Wood. The 4th Battalion sent a patrol under Lieut. Perkinsll into Chuignes and found it empty.12 In front of the 1st Battalion Froissy valley was largely occupied by huts and store depots and at its northern end the railway expanded into many tracks. The western slope and the flat were under intense fire from the heights at short range and, as the barrage on the left had ended early, the enemy had time to watch and fire on later movements. In addition, as Steen's company emerged from Chuignolles Wood, Germans behind its left hurriedly set up two machine-guns near the eastern exit from Chuignolles. Two youngsters of Withy's company, which had pushed out posts north of the village, shot down the first gunners,13 hut the centre company had to lie low on reaching a sunken road overlooking the bottom of the valley. Farther south, part of the right which had nearly reached the hospital was withdrawn and the front line was eventually adjusted by Col. Stacy with its right flank on Arcy Wood. North of Chuignolles Lieut. Kelleway14 of Withy's company, being troubled, as his-platoon dug in, by fire from a copse (Little Wood) on his left, went with a tank and seized it.15 But from Long Wood, 200 yards ahead, and Luc Wood, on the slope to the Somme, vicious fire still came. Accordingly Maj. Streetle of the reserve company, on reaching .Capt. Withy decided to carry out the exploitation phase by first seizing Long Wood on the southern slope, and thence attacking the

lo Capt C. L. Sturt, b1.C ; 3rd Bo. Farmer; of Cootamundra, N.S W., b. Bulli, s Feb. 1893. ULt. T. J. Perkins, M.C.; 4th Bn. Bank clerk; of Launceston. Tas , b. Evan- dale, Tas, 5 Nov. 1894. 12 As he could get no touch with McDermid, two platoons of Isaacs' company were brought up to guard this flank. 200 Pte. G. E. Semmler (Barmedman.' N.S.W )... firinn- at yards from the shoulder. hit one with his first shot. I'Capt C Kelleway 1st Bn. Accountant; of Clebe Point, N.S.W.; b. Lismore, N.S.W., 25'Apr. 1888. A cricketer of the Australian XI. -The platoon caught a German sentry just arousing the garrison in a dugout, and captured 50 men and 6 trench-mortars. lBAfterwards Minister for Defence, killed in air crash, 13 Aug. 1940. 752 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [23rd Aug., 1918

Germans in Luc Wood from their rear. A tank commander was asked to help and drove across the open round the edges of Long Wood. At 7.30 two platoons under Lieuts. Blake and Crow- hurstl’ cleverly attacked the wood from the rear, though under heavy fire from a copse farther north,l* and drove the Germans westwards into the Australian line. About that time there arrived at Lieut.-Col. Stacy’s headquarters that vigorous spirit, Wilder-Neligan, whose battalion, the Ioth, was to protect the left for the coming attack on Froissy Beacon. Learning that the 1st Battalion’s northern post was being harassed by fire from Luc Wood he arranged to clear the flank then and there, and ordered Maj. McCann, who had two companies ready on that flank, to do so. McCann’s first patrols were stopped by sharp fire but, together with a platoon of the 59th and with two from Street’s companyl9 coming from the south, McCann’s companies had by 8.30 worked through the wood,20 established posts around it, and sent out patrols. Here, after the barrage and a special smoke screen laid upon the valley and heights*l had ceased, movement had been most difficult since several field-guns and many machine-guns on Froissy heights and in Marly Woods burst into action when anything stirred. But the field artillery was now moving up-a most inspiriting sight-to Proyart valley. “0”Battery, R.H.A., entrusted with helping the 1st Battalion in exploitation, actually thrust forward to the open hill north-west of Chuignolles. Unfor-

“Lt. D. A. Crowhurst. 1st Bn. Bank clerk; of Sydney; b. Rdley, N.S.W., 29 July 1894. =The had advanced in artillery formation to the southeastern corner of the wooa. There strong fire was brought on them, so they deployed at once and attacked. Lt. J. P. Kelly with a patrol passed north of the wood about the same time. 1OUnder Lts. C. Bitmead (Hurstville, N.S.W.) and H. L. L. O’Neill (New- castle. N.S.W.). 15 prisoners and 4 machine-guns were taken. By the 3rd Div.’s artillery north of the river. 17th-z3rd Aug., 19181 BAIG’S SECONb STROKE 753 tunately communication was slow-for a time a mounted orderly was the only means. But at 8.30 the 298th R.F.A. Brigade, driving up, established touch with Neligan and heavily shelled the heights. An observer of the 49th Battery, Lieut. W. F. Osmund,22 also noticed the trouble and directed the fire of the 49th, 50th and 113th Batteries on to the crest. The German fire greatly diminished. The 10th Battalion sent four platoons, covered by Lewis and Vickers machine-guns, farther down the spur north of Chuignolles and also cleared the Somme flats, capturing three more machine-gun^.^^ Practically all the main objective had thus been taken and also, on the northern flank, all the objective to be reached by immediate exploitation. In the centre exploitation had failed to reach the line set; but that the Germans had suffered a stunning blow their own records make clear.

The attack south of the Somme, which fell upon three divisions- 21st, 107th, and 185th-had practically wiped away their main line garrison, except at the extreme north and south where portions had not yet been attacked. The assault was expected-Byng’s offensive on Aug. 21 had warned the Second German Army, which had forthwith ordered the XI Corps to garrison the H.W.L. 11, on the plateau behind Froissy valley, with reserve troops-the resting battalions of the zist Dim. and the three regiments of the q3rd Dim The front line facing the 1st Aust. Bde. had been held by two regiments (87th and 80th) of the 2~stDivn. These had come in on Aug. ITz4, and were told that the opposing front was held by tired troops. “Great strong figures with dash and enterprise,” says the historian of the 87th I.R. with reference to the peaceful penetration that immediately began, “these Australians do not give the impression of a worn out division.” The regiments of the 21st Divn. held their line in depth, one battalion in the outposts west of the valley, the support battalion in the valley and on Froissy heights. Heavy losses through trench-mortar bombardment on the night of the zznd caused the commander of the 87th to withdraw his outposts 100 yards. The 1st Aust. Bn.’s attack immediately afterwards overwhelmed all these except in the sector of the northernmost company; the posts of the support battalion “stared, strained, into the mist.” Two companies stationed to keep contact on the north and a mpany of engineers (S/zrst) were rushed up, and it was against these troops and forward battalion H.Q. that the 1st and 10th Aust. Bns. and tanks fought during the exploitation stage. The

=Maj. W. F. Osmund. N.C. Farmer; of King Island, Tas * b. Salisbury, Enn.. a8 Am. 1803. (The 49th Btv. fired this day moo rounds froh five -,nuns.) GLt. E.. L. Angove (Tea Tre; Gully, S A.j was killed at McCann’s head- uarters. Two of the lrutson officers sent by the 10th to flanking unitbLts 8. Sbarpe (Renmark, S.A.) and H. H. Coombe (Port Wakefield, SA)-& WCR killed this day. ~Relievinpthe 108th Div, then holding ita front with troops of the zqdrd. 754 THE A.I.P. IN FkANCE [23rd Aug., 1918

German posts cheered their 3rd Bty., 27th F.A.R., as its guns hit tank after tank. But the commander of the front battalion barely escaped as the Australian parties closed from both sides on his headquarters among the engineer dumps. Farther south the front battalion of the 80th I.R. was equally overwhelmed. But its commander and staff reached Gibraltar height, above Chuignes, where the support battalion lay; and it was these troops that drove back the 3rd Aust. Bn. when it attempted to reach those heights. The German Puns there shot well. and Chuignes was evacuated in &der to let them shill it. South of Chuignes valley the 2nd Aust. Bde. was faced by the 8Ist I.R. (zIst Divn.) and, on a narrow front, by the much tried 107th Divn. with its two remaining regiments, 232nd R.I.R. at St. Martin’s Wood, and 52nd R.I.R. (with which the 227th had been combined) astride the Roman road. Each regiment had two battalions in the line; and behind each of them two companies of the inznd I.R. (243rd Divn.) lay in the woods. Early in the morning the outposts of the 52nd had seen men moving; and a few minutes before the attack the 232nd heard the tanks. Each regiment called down artillery fire. For the 232nd the day was “the most,,fateful of the whole campaign. Nearly the whole regiment and the companies of the 122nd behind it were cut off and captured in the woods or valleys.26 The 52nd suffered almost as severely. How Lts. Konig and Mathesius formed a rallying point on the plateau in front of the sunken Chuignes-Herleville road, in which the regiment’s H.Q. at first lay,ze has already been described. About I o’clock this group counter-attacked towards the hospital. Konig claims that it forced its opponents back a little, held on until g p.m., and then withdrew unnoticed. Farther south the 32nd Divn. was faced by the 185th of the IV Res. Corps. It was the two northern regiments (65th I.R. and 28th R.I.R.) of this division that counter-attacked at Herleville.2i’ The 65th I.R. lost 17 officers and 368 of other ranks. The trench taken by McCarthy was farther south in the sector of the 161st I.R.

5 The a32nd R.1 R lost all three battalion staffs, all medical officers, all corn. pany commanders, and 600 men. It had previously lost 300 in the Lihons-Proyart fighting. 81 With that of the z3znd it soon retired to Foucaucourt. 5 The history of the 28th R I R says. “The figlit was too bitter for taking prisoners. 23rd Aug., 19181 HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 755 The 1st Brigade’s exploitation took much longer than expected. The 3rd Brigade’s attack was to have begun in mid- morning; at 7 a.m. Brig.-Genl. Bennett ordered his battalions to keep touch with those ahead and to pass through when these gained the exploitation objective. Wilder-Neligan of ?- 5hmfius - .. the 10th passed through be- , fore then but, as the other battalions had clearly not had the opportunity, Bennett at IO o’clock decided to attack at a fixed hour under a creeping barrage. The line reached by the 1st and 3rd Battalions had by then been ascertained and the two sup porting artillery brigades28 would start their barrage on k!%ar2 a line runni% gellerally along Thick liiies ~OZUfront a/ 2 p.m. the valley. General Glasgow ordered that the outposts of the 1st Brigade on that front must advance as soon as it fell and reach the line already set for their exploitation ; by then the 3rd Brigade should be arriving to pass through. The 1st Brigade warned the 1st and 3rd Battalions to be ready to start at I o’clock or as soon after as they saw the barrage, which “should be easily recognised.” This message, received at battalion headquarters just before I o’clock, had not reached all the posts when at 2 the barrage came down. Capt. Withy of the Ist, north of Chuig- nolles, had received the order and raced with Lieut. Scales’szg platoon down the hill to catch up the barrage. His messenger had been unable to find Lieut. Kelleway’s post, but Withy caught sight of Iielleway standing his men to arms and ran to him with the news, and Kelleway’s platoon too raced down the spur. Far along the valley to the right the two “exploitation” companies of the 3rd were waiting for this movement -Lieut. Srurt had sent an officer northwards to wave his hand =The 5th R.H.A. and 298th RF.A. The 16th Bde. R.HA and 13th and 14th A F.A. helped on the southein flank mLt. F. H. Scales, 1st Bn. Clerk; of Epping, N.S.W.; b. Bromley, Eng., g May 1884. 756 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [zgrd Aug., 1918 if he saw troops advancing. Near Chuignolles Wood the officer waved, and Sturt’s company crossed the valley under heavy fire and began to climb while the right company of the 3rd made for Chuignes. As the left reached the hospital and the dead ground under the steep hill the Germans above them began to break, and when after zig-zagging up the height the Australians reached the top, the enemy was 300 yards away, making for trenches behind Garenne Wood. Farther north parts of the right battalion of the 3rd Brigade, the Izth, with some of the 1st among them, crossed the flat and, passing through hlarly Woods on the steep slope, reached the sunken road at the crest where they captured 40 Germans, 2 field-guns and an anti-tank gun; but the barrage advancing 100 yards every three minutes, had been too fast for the troops in such a fight, and when they tried to leave the woods and cross the plateau they were met by intense fire from Garenne Wood, which drove them back to the lip of the crest. Here Maj. Foster,3l of the centre company of the 12th, reorganised the line and tried again to advance. In this attempt he, Lieut. Kelly32 of the 1st (a leader in many enterprises that day), and many others were killed, and, for a time, the assault was checked. North of this, where as yet the 3rd Brigade had not appeared, Lieut. Scales of the st^^ pushed northwards along the steep slope. Germans with two machine-guns and the field- gun that had hit so many tanks held them up till numbers of the 12th were seen coming. The Germans then made for their dugout where 22 were captured. Scales went on along the slope to Froissy Beacon itself, meeting only a few Ger- mans waiting to surrender. A quarter of an hour later the left of the 3rd Brigade appeared below and climbed the slope. That brigade had experienced a most difficult approach. At 2.30 a.m. it had come up to the valley north of Proyart, near St. Germin Woods, in readiness. There the German barrage

80 On the slope 500 yards west of Chuianes. Chuignolles Wood was just east of Chuinnolles. For a photograph of this valley see Plate 530, Vol. XI1. m Maj. J. A. Fostrr, 12th Bn. Pastoralist; of hierton Vale. Campbell Town, Tas.; b. Hobart, ai May 1890. Killed in action, 23 Aug. 1918. (His father- Maj. H. Foster-was prominent in. raising the Tasmanian part of the 26th Bn.. and accompanied it to Gallipoli.) GLt. J. P. Kelly, 1st Bn. Labourer; of Melbourne; b. Tallangatta, Vic., 1888. Killed in action, a3 Aug. 1918. aa With some of his own men and a few of the 3rd Bdc. zjrd Aug., 19181 HAIG‘S SECOND STROKE 757 brought down by the original attack burst about it exploding a dump and killing or wounding 50 of the 12th Battalion,” 30 of the IIth, and 70 of the and (reserve of the 1st Brigade). The Iath, finding its waiting position enfiladed by the guns, shifted to St. Germain woods.3S General Bennett’s order for the attack at 2 o’clock was issued at 10.15. The left battalion (9th) moved forward at 12.30 and the right (12th) soon after in order to get close to the barrage when it fell. But after the 12th emerged from the railway cutting by which it had crossed Chuignolles ridge, its left companies, moving down through the wheatfield north of the village, came under intense direct fire of all arms from Froissy Heights. The men crept from the crop into the village where they waited for a while in cover. The right after crossing the valley behind the barrage was temporarily held up before Garenne Wood as already described. But Lieuts. Vaughan and Maj. Foster’s successor, Lieut. Terry,% worked their companies around the south of this and Lieut. Gandy’s, climbing up from Chuignolles, pushed round the north. The enemy withdrew along old communication trenches and the 12th reached its objective on the plateau. The 9th Battalion, which was to advance along the Somme slope, through Luc Wood, to Froissy Beacon and the plateau beyond, met heavy bombardment in the woods, partly with gas shell. A spectator on the other side of the Somnie, waiting

C.Q M. Sg. A II. White (Pingdly, W.A.) of the lath was killed The cookers of the battalions came rinht-. UD to the trooDs there. 86 While the troops were waiting many prisoners came racin through the bar. raze and the 5th Bde.. R.H A.. which with the 298th R F.A. %de. was to cover the ’attack galloped past to help the 1st Bn., some of its guns, when shelled, moving farther forward to a better position. Their teams and the infantry were also bombed from the air but without much effect. MLt. E. E. Terry, M.M.: 12th Bn School teacher of New Norfolk, Tar.; b. Plenty, Tas., 4 July 1895. Killed in’action. 25 Aug. 1b18. mHelped by the fire oi the 3rd Bn. from the slope above Chuignes. 758 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [23rd Aug., 1918 for the appearance of these troops, describes the scene38 (his account is here summarised)- There was no mistaking the Australian barrage-a roll of drum fire and clouds of dust and smoke down the slope (east of Luc Wood).39 Next a handful of men were seen filing across a space to some old British huts near the wood and searching them; after a loi~g time men moving in sections past other huts lower 011 the slope. A string of Germans began to retire across Froissy plateau. Next came a few more running across it for a mile, with the barrage after them. Then in Luc Wood, where men had been first noted, came numbers of others advancing fast in many little sections, well spaced out in line. They ran through those woods like water through grass and very soon afterwards were seen, first in the valley, where Germans had been before, next on the hill- top, next moving across the slope east of Froissy Beacon. Germans could be seen in a depression, with a quarry, at the eastern edge of Froissy plateau. When the foremost Australians were well past Garenne Wood and others reaching the Beacon, German artillery observers north of the Somme saw them and called down a heavy barrage, screening that part of the plateau in dust. “Presently the dust half cleared and we saw the men there get at once from the trench in which they had subsided for the moment . . . and go quickly through that shell smoke in good formation and across the green towards where the front lines had gone. The German dropped his barrage again very quickly . . . but they were well ahead of most of the shelling by rhat time.” The teams of a German battery could be seen in the gully ahead. About 5 o’clock they made their run for it, one gun after another, up the slope of that gully, on whose eastern side lay Olympia Wood, along the farther plateau to disappear bchind the distant Chiteau Orchard. A second battery followed and also got clear. The 9th Battalion must have been nearly an hour late. Meanwhile the 11th (comprising only three weak companies) had followed the 12th, and after being caught, like it, by fire in the wheatfield had sent its two leading companies northwards up Froissy valley, in order to mop up after the 9th had passed. But the 9th had not arrived and these companies, under Capt. Tulloch (of Gallipoli fame) and Lieut.

=Photographs of this advance and the Australian barrage are in Vol XII, Plates 527-9. -This writer also noted later the heavy German shelling on Luc Wood. 23rd Aug., 19181 HAIG'S SECOND STROKE 759

Norrie, were fired on from copses, timber and coal stacks, and huts. The Western Australians worked, fighting, round these obstacles, the Germans bolting when outflanked and being chased around dumps and driven up the hill or along the Somme valley towards Cappy.4O Completely beaten in this valley the Germans made no stand at Froissy Beacon. There Tulloch found Lieut. Scales and his party waiting and, with a platoon of the 12th under Lieut. Dollery,4l moved out across the plateau north of Square Wood. As it approached the Germans east of the plateau the advance was made by section rushes, the officers giving the signal on their whistles.42 It ended the Objective near GUWIU~Mfacing fhe attack af 2 p.m. the gully by Olympia Wood. The Australians fired at the escaping- -- gun-teams, but could not stop them. The gth, which came up last, afterwards withdrew and formed posts behind the left flank, guarding the steep slope to the S~mrne.~~

The 2 o'clock attack was at first faced only by the remnant of the former front line troops and their immediate reserves. At Gibraltar and Garenne Wood the support battalion of the Mh, still intact, held the Australians back until outflanked farther north. Remnants of the front and support battalions of the 87th fought amid the dumps in the valley, and falling back, mostly towards Cappy, covered the withdrawal of a heavv batterv there.

~ "Lt. Norrie and an N.CO., firing through the window of a house into a crowd of Germans penned there, captured 37 and two machine-guns. Norrie'r company numbered onl 50. Elsewhere Cpl. E. Worthington (Geraldton, W.A.; killed in action, 18 Hep. 1g18), creeping behind some timber stacks bombed and captured another party. U Lt.-Col. E. M. Dollery, M C.: 12th Bn., and H.Q. 1st Aust. Corps, A.I.F., 1940. Electrical Engineer; of Hobart; b. Hobart. 21 Apr. 1897. (On hi? return to Australia he entered the Military College at Duntroon, graduating in Dec, 1921). YThe 9th came up in artillery formation, only deploying near Square Wocd. ~Tulloch's company of the 11th also came back into support. 760 THE A.I.F. 1N FRANCE [23rd Aug., 1918

But on crossing the crest the Australians were faced by the line of positions comprising H.W.L. 11, already manned as indicated in the marginal sketch. At g a.m. the 1/47gth I.R., near Cappy, ready to counter-attack, had been placed under the 21st Divn. The penetration of the 4th and 3rd Aust. Bns. and tanks south of Chuignes caused the report of a break-through towards Dompierre, and this battalion was hurried thither. But H.W.L. I1 was not yet being attacked. At II a.m. came the order that it was now to be held at the main line, any troops in front of it being regarded as garrison of the forward zone. It was not till 3.30 that the 3rd Aust. Bde. streaming across the plateau44 drove the Germans from that part of the new main line. The 21st Divn. at once ordered Froissy plateau to be retaken, and the 479th I.R. was reinforced by the 148th I.R. (4Ist Divn.) for that purpose. As it was late, however, before that regiment came up it merely reinforced the existing line. The 247th R.I.R. (54th Res. Divn.), then 100 r,ifles strong, was also to come from north of the Some. But before it could arrive it became involved in fighting on its own side of the river. Farther south the tired 108th Divn. had been alarmed and brought up to man H.W.L. I1 where it was still the second line of resistance, astride the Roman road behind Foucaucourt. The 12znd Fusilier Regt. (243rd Divn.) now faced the 2nd Aust. Bde. west of that village. But the regiment had only the strength of a weak battalion. The Austral& Corps had by dusk won not only its main objective but, except for immaterial fractions, the ground intended to be gained by exploitation. Most Haig’6 of the German batteries lay beyond this line, change of method at the head of Cliuignes gully, and the troops’ elation was somewhat damped by the severe shelling that f~llowed.’~Nevertheless a most powerful blow had been struck. Of 8,000 prisoners taken that day by fifteen divisions in the successful offensives of Fourth and Third Armies, the 1st Australian Division captured 2,000.~~In Third Army the V Corps, thrusting south-east, reached the UOne German accoiint says that they drove before them German “prisoners” who masked their fire. Actually they followed fleemg Germans. Probably the batteries were shooting away their supplies before retiring. &By Aug. 26 the number was 61 officers and 2.535 others: in addition the 32nd Div. captured over loo. The loss of the 1st Aust. Div., Aug. 23-26, was 70 officers and 1,354 others in addition to g and 320 gassed in the and Bde. (mainly on Aug.- 2s)... details are as follows: 1st Brrgadc 2nd Brcgade 3rd Brigadr Off. O.R. Off. O.R. off. 0.R. 1st Bn. 4 139 5th Bn. 6 106 9th Bn 4 73 2nd Bn. 3 89 6th Bn. 5 127 10th Bn 6 zz 3rd Bn. g 194 7th Bn. 11 11th Bn. a 67 4th Bn 5 73 8th Bn. 2 go lath Bn. 7 131 LTM. Btr. - 5 L.T.M. Btv. - a L.T.M. Btv. - I

21 500 21 346 19 294 Divisional Units 1st Pr. Bn. 3 63 Engrs. 2 19 Arty 2 ;n 1st h1.G. Bn. I 68 Slgs 1 3 Fld. Ambs. - I1 The 32nd Div. lost on Aug. 23, ig officers and 358 others. 21st-qrd Aug., 19181 HAWS SECOND STROKE 76 1 edge of Irles and was reported to have entered Loupart Wood, little more than two miles from Bapaume. At this juncture, and later, the tactics of the British Army were greatly influenced by a general order from Haig, who on August 22nd had decided that the great set pieces of the 8th and 21st must now be followed by a different method of attack. The Germans were becoming worn out and their plans disorganised, he said. To turn the present situation to account the most resolute offensive is everywhere desirable. Risks which a month ago would have been criminal to incur ought now to be incurred as a duty. It is no longer necessary to advance in regular lines and step by step. On the con- trary each division should be given a distant objective which must be reached independently of its neighbour, and even if one's flank is thereby exposed for the time being. Reinforcements must be directed to points where our troops are gaining ground not where they are checked. . . . The situation is most favourable. Let each one of us act energetically, and without hesitation push forward to our objective. By August 23rd or 24th this order had reached down to battalions. In Third Army it was decided that the time was ripe for the attempt to break through to Bapaume, and two brigades of the New Zealand Division, which the V Corps had throughout reserved for that purpose, were ordered up on the night of the 23rd, to attack at 4.15 a.m. on the 24th. Farther south, Fourth Army, whose extreme left had advanced with Third Army on the 23rd from Albert towards Pozicres, would attack at I am., the I11 Corps (47th, 12th, and 18th Divisions) intending to regain the ground captured and lost on the 2md, and the 3rd Australian Division to seize Bray, if that village had not already been surrounded and captured by patrols at nightfall on the 23rd. The 3rd Pioneer Battalion, holding the cliff looking down on Bray, had on the afternoon of the 23rd, after reconnais- sance by patrols, ferried two companies by means Bray of two small boats to the peninsula there, across which Germans from south of the river had all day been fleeing." These parties took la Neuville but the main bridge leading to Bray was unapproachable through machine-gun fire. Posts were established south of Bray, but as the place had not

"The peninsula is shown in 1'01. SII, Plate 524. A Itatson section under Sgt A A Hudson (Newcastle and Baan Baa, N.S.W.) had worked with the 1st Dim on the river and captured aome prisoners and machine-guns. 762 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [z3rd-24th Aug., 1918 been taken by nightfall the plan of attack stood. At midnight the posts were warned to withdraw as the village would be bombarded. The attack on Bray was made by part of the 10th Brigade. During the night of the 24th this brigade relieved the 9th north-west and north of Bray, the 3rd Pioneers still holding the line south-west of it.48 The 40th Battalion (Tas.) formed up behind the posts on the slope west of Bray and at I a.m., under a creeping barrage, its two forward companies, followed by a third to mop up and with one from the 37th moving on their advanced down the ha1 f-precipice towards the village, which, with its quaint church, lay in bright moonlight below. The 40th~ which had marched seven and a half miles along a congested road, was only just in time.60 Machine- guns opened from the trees at the north-west corner of Bray.61The German barrage fell quickly, and as the 40th descended, closely hemmed between the two barrages, Maj. Giblin, economist, miner, farmer, statistician, and most trusted and experienced of company commanders, was wounded by a shell.52 His company went on north of the town and, though severely fired at from the hedges,5a seized two machine- guns at the Cemetery, and, with the 37th, two others beyond it. The German bombardment was filling the valley with gas and the men had to put on their masks. It was found difficult to advance from the outskirts of Bray but a prompt message "The line is shown in Vol. XII, Platr 525. 49This company of the 37th was in support. MThe company of the 37th was even later. It received the order in the support position only 20 minutes before the attack. Lt. E J Cox rushed off to reconnoitre. Before he returned Lt L J Robertson had to run with the company down the gully. Against the flashes of the barrage to. his right front he saw men and ran to them, guessing them to be the 40th-which they were. 61 One of these had fired just before zero hour. A scout had been sent to locate it and, when the barrage advanced, Lt. Cranswick's platwn surprised the post, capturing 3 machine-guns. "Cranswick tonk his Cranswick's platoon and another were then commanded by Sgt. V. H. %%anan (Geelong, Vic.) who led magnificently in this action 63One machine-gun on the main road did great damage. qth-25th Aug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 763 caused the artillery barrage to be extended for fifteen minutes and a line of posts was duly placed east of the village. Lieut. Whitaker’s company passing the southern outskirts had little trouble ; Lieut. Lakix~,~~pushing north-east towards Crans- wick’s company, met Germans at a tree-lined bank, and after a short bomb fight captured 22 and 4 machine-guns. Lieut. Game55and his company, entering Bray at three points, quickly cleared it and then pushed eastwards. A machine-gun fired from the station but, on being bombarded with a Stokes mortar, the crew fled. In all, 186 Germans-mostly of the zo2nd and 203rd R.I.R’s (43rd Res. Divn.) but including some of the 25th and 27th Divisions-were captured.5e The 37th and 40th had 74 casualties though only three were killed. The answer to this attack was sharp shelling of the whole area, especially the village, largely with gas. North of the Australian position the I11 Corps had retaken the line reached by it on the ~2nd.Its troops were in no condition to exploit the gain, and in this shelling some of them, north of the Chalk Pit, again fell back!‘ The history of the 117th I.R. (25th Divn.) says that the German line was to have been withdrawn at 4 a.m. to H.W.L. I1 (along the heights east of Bray) but the attack caught it before withdrawal. The regiment counter-attacked and drove back the British, but as H.W.L. 11, farther north, was already lost, withdrawal to H.W.L. I11 (west of Billon Wood) was ordered in the afternoon. The general line reached by I11 Corps was held, and orders were received that a further advance would be made at dawn on the 25tl1, the 58th Division taking the place of the 47th. For, although the attempt of the New Zealanders that day to break through to Bapaume had been held up at the north- =Capt. N. E. Lakin, V.D.; 40th Bn. Clerk; of Launceston, Tas.; b. Launceston, a3 Aug. 1895. 66Lt. C. W. Game, M.C.; 40th Bn. School teacher; of Wynyard, Tas.. b. Wynyard, ZI July 1887. MAnlany were. uncertain pf the position. and the 7th caused a number to approach it by imitatin their calls. Bray railway yard was full of stores, partly loaded upon trains. Tfe huge dumps were found by the engineers to have been mined but were not blown up. The village was burning and was viciously shelled. Most trows, except runners and linesmen... keDt clear of it. WCaot. Dench of the 38th En. had relieved Brodziak here. and mnrt rallantlv went out twice and brocght forward the British line.- WGl; &gankni- oh the second Dccasion this fine leader was killed by a sniper. the same shot woundina Lt. E. M. Barker (Cottesloe W.A ). Lt. P. . Baxter (hfiamia and Leichardt, Vic ), who then took chirge, was reinforced by a platoon under Lt. W. P. L). Murie (Albert Park. Vic ). Baxter that mornine had rushed a German DOSt 70 yards ahead of the Chalk Pit. An airman. miataknc nnr of thr Australian posts for German, bombed it, killing 3 N C.0.s -aid--> -men,- and wounding Lt R. W. Gollan (Brunswick, Vic.). Till the British came up the northern flank was held. this day, by the 39th. It later relieved the 38th. 764 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [z4th-zgth Aug., 1918 western edge of the town, there were signs that the Germans were in sore straits.58 South of the Somme preparations were certainly being made to fall back to that river ; the French captured prisoners who said their regiment was acting as a rearguard to cover a retreat to the Hindenburg Line, ten miles beyond the Somme. In consequence of these reports, on August 24th the posts of the 1st Division on Froissy plateau were ordered to advance and take the gully ahead and Olympia Wood beyond it. Lieut. Terry’s company of the 12th bombed up one of the communication trenches leading eastwards but was stopped at 150 yards. Some of the officers in charge of the gth, who were held to be lacking in vigour in grappling with the difficulties of the left flank, where the 3rd lst Division Division was at that moment nearly a mile August 24 behind the 1st. were replaced; but the attempt to advance there was stopped until the 3rd Division should come up. German records show that the 479th I.R., now reinforced by most of the 148th I.R. and 111/18th (both from 41st Dim.) had been ordered to advance the forward zone here to Froissy Valley, but the regiments were greatly mixed and it was not attempted. The 12th Bn.’s thrust pierced the line of the 80th I.R. which then withdrew slightly across the Cappy- Chuignes road. The British advance north of the river in the small hours of August 25th was expected to be easy ; on the previous morning the troops who captured Bray had seen many Germans with- drawing over the next spur, towards Suzanne. As this :pur extended along a peninsula two-thirds of a mile southwards, a second brigade, the r~th,was put in to attack August 26- on the northern half of the 3rd Division’s to SUZallIle front. It used the 4th and 43rd Battalions, followed by the 42nd, which would exploit any success. The 10th Brigade (whose outposts withdrew in

68 Prisoners of the 25th Div. said its loss was too heavy to allow counter. attack &tli Aug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 765 order to allow the barrage to fall close beyond Bray) attacked with the 40th, 37th, and 39th. The barrage crept slowly for a mile up the open ridge:9 enabling the troops to suppress the few German posts there. No enemy flares answered the attack; “we walked slowly most of the time,” reported Capt. Lewisao of the 4th. A few machine-gunners fought most bravely, especially on the 10th Brigade’s front. Presently a fog gathered, and when the old trench-line on the crest was reached no one could see for 100 yards. The 40th Battalion pushed down the end of the peninsula to Cappy bridge, seizing 29 prisoners and 8 machine-guns. In the northern sector two companies of the 42nd passed through the 4th and 43rd and through Ceylon Wood, which covered the steep down-slope to the outskirts of Suzanne, and after searching the wood returned.61 The prisoners said they had been Ieft behind to see if the British attacked, in which case they were to fall back on a main line of resistance at Suzanne. Impressed by the enemy’s disorganisation, I11 Corps decided to press on and seize Maricourt, which commanded the plateau, a miIe wide, north of the Somme slopes. Meanwhile General Gellibrand had gone forward and arranged with his brigadiers, Generals Cannan and McNicoll, for an advance at I p.m. in four stages to the head of the next bend of the Sornme at Fargny mill, two and a half miles away. A squadron of the 13th Light Horse was sent to help the brigades. At this stage General Monash telephoned a direction, pre- sumably laid down by Rawlinson, that the left-that is I11 Corps-must lead. The valley to Suzanne, therefore, should not be crossed until the 58th Division had Maricourt. But the

MAdvancing at first IOO yards every four minutes, later IOO yards in six minutes. Parts of this barrage were rather ragged. WCapt. M Lewis M.C ; 44th Bn. Tailor; of North Perth W.A.; b. Blaenavon, Wales, a1 DA. 189;. QThe line was very thin and a party of 37 Germans was missed. Capt. Longmore in hip history of the 44th says that Capt. Lewis, Lt. R. B. O’Carroll and Sgt. F.. Cillett (Osborne Park. W.A) of the 44th were held up by there when exploring the wood. but bluffed them into surrender. 766 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [25th Aug., 1918

advance had already begun. On the left it could make no headway; the mist had cleared at IO a.m., and when the 4th and 43rd passed over the crest overlooking Ceylon Wood they were met by the fire not only of machine-guns but of field- guns shooting direct from many of the thirty small copses with which the moor- land of the old battleground for miles beyond was punc- tuated, and also from Mari- court. All that day, though the higher commanders received constant reports that the 58th Division had passed Billon Wood-the chief obstacle before Maricourt-and urged the 11th Brigade to swing up, the 43rd Battalion, receiv- ing machine-gun fire from the wood knew the reports to be false.s2 Eventually the Australians advanced about nightfall -the right (10th Brigade) actually moving first and the left (58th Division) latest. The intense heat had culminated in a thunderstorm. The 39th Battalion moved down through the woods, where a machine-gun fired and then vanished, until Suzanne village and its great chiteau frowned in the dark above. The 11th Brigade crossed the ravine south of Billon Wood. The German main line of resistance north of the Sornme this day appears to have been the former H.W.L. 111, which here ran west of Billon Wood to east of Suzanne. It was held by a mixture of worn out divisions, 43rd Res., 27th, and 25th, among which was inserted this day part of the 117th.a By dawn on August 26th the 11th Brigade had finished the second stage. At 9 a m. that day the 39th Battalion, still on the first objective west of Suzanne, sent patrols E:'A2&Tod through and round that village and found the German posts now just beyond it. At the same time the 11th Brigade, hearing from the 58th Division that British troops were 1,000 yards ahead of the left, on

89 Airmen had probably seen isolated groups of British. there. Which first met the Australians at Pozldres in 1916. 26th Aug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 767 the road along the Maricourt-Suzanne valley, attempted to reach the third objective across that valley. Fire from old British huts and trenches on the far side held up the left (43rd Bn.) which also could find only Germans on its northern flank. Meanwhile at 9.10 a.m., General Monash told Gellibrand that the 58th Division had been ordered to take Maricourt which would force a German retirement; the Australian r61e was to be “quiescent” until this was done. But again before this order reached the front, patrols of the 39th had passed through and round Suzanne, and at noon the 37th, in accordance with earlier orders, went through the 39th north of the village to reach the third objective. The companies, sneaking in small groups along banks, old trenches, and sunken roads, were stopped by machine-guns in Mur- ray Wood. On being asked by the left of the 37th for covering fire, Lieut. Le Fevree4 of the 39th with Sergt. Loxtonas and a runner crawled to the wood; drove out 30 Germans and a machine-gun crew, who fled up an old communication trench ; and, with reinforcements summoned by the runner, bombed these troops back to a main trench between Murray and Vaux Woods. Meanwhile two small patrols of the left company of the 37th under Lieuts. Robertsone6 and Ayer~,~?working up a communication trench farther north, had rushed a strong-post and entered the main trench-line. At the same moment, apparently, Le Fevre and his company attacked it. Several hundred Germans bolted across the open to Vaux Wood, chased by the fire of rifles and Lewis guns. Two Ger- man batteries in the gully south of the wood galloped off, the Victorians, short of their own ammunition, firing on them with

BL Lt. S Le Fevre. hl.C , 39th Bn. Clerk; of Burwood, Vic.; b. Pyengana, Tas, 23 Nov. 1896. Killed in action, 30 Aug., 1918. “Sgt. C. Loxton, M.M. (No. 2181; 39th h.) Farmer, of Woomelang. \’IC ; b. Rosebery, Vic.. 19 Aug. 1994 ea Lt. L. Robertson M C , 37th Bn Bank official; of Milawa, Vic , h Wangaratta. bc., 12 Ma; 1892. Died 17 May 1933. mLt. A. E. Ayers. M M., 37th Bn. Clerk; of Sydney and Cobar, N S W , II Salt Lake City. U S.A.. 12 Feb 1895 768 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [25th-26th Aug., 1918

German machine-guns of which they captured ten. Farther north light horse scouts and others found that the 58th Division was where its reports had claimed, and the 43rd was now able to cross Suzanne valley and link up the line. The movement was completed during the night. The uncertainty as to the position north of the Australian flank may be explained by the fact, recorded in the history of the 11th Grenadier Regt. (117th German Divn.), that this regiment counter- attacked in the early morning, met the British attack, and captured an officer, and 81 men. North of it the 117th I.R. is said to have beaten off six attacks on Maricourt. Two German historiesaa say the thrust of the Australians to Vaux Wood made a retirement that night necessary. Many of the Germans here were already beyond the limit of endurance. The historian of the 120th I.R. says: “You could no longer call it a ‘fight’ . . . the enemy brigades rolled up behind a mighty curtain of fire and ceremoniously crushed the motley assembly of German soldiers.” The order to withdraw to a new line-from east of Maricourt to Fargny mill (half way between H.W.L. IV and V)-was given to at least some of the German troops by aeroplanes, which also dropped ammunition. On the British side the 58th Division was ordered to take Maricourt next morning. At the same time the 4rst Australian Battalion was to move through the 43rd and reach the Somme bend at Fargny mill. Meanwhile three companies of the 38th lent to the 37th cleared, during the night, the peninsula south- east of Suzanne, and Sergt. McCrohon and four scouts were sent to try to discover the condition of the bridges leading to and from the next peninsula.

For since the advance of the 3rd Division on August 25th, the 1st Division south of the Somme also had been rapidly pushing forward its flank, affording a chance of cutting off Germans on each penjnsula that was passed. On the 24th Monash had ordered the 1st and 32nd Divi- South Of August 25 sions to press forward by patrolling methods while the artillery shelled the German com- munications to hamper the expected general retirement. But it was not until 4 p.m. on the 25th that a considerable effort was madea0 to drive back the enemy along the whole front. At most points this was attempted by bombing up the old communication trenches (leading from Froissy valley to the old

a Of the 11th Grenadier Regt. and the 123rd I R. ”But durin the night of the 24th the 12th Bn. again advanced, establishing posts acfoss &e open N.E. of Carenne Wood. 24th-2jth Aug., 19181 HAIG’S SECOND STROKE 769

French front between Foucaucourt and Dompierre) in which the German posts now were. West of Foucaucourt patrols : of the 2nd Brigade, though supported by Stokes mortars7O were stopped at 203-300 yards by bombing blocks (of the 12znd I.R.) strongly defended by machine-guns and trench-mortars. The 4th Battalion, seeing German shells bursting in Lapin Woods, sent a patrol through it; but the 3rd Battalion’s patrols, after working up Chuignes gully and through Canard Woods, were stopped by intense fire,71 followed by one of the heaviest barrages that occurred during this offensive. The 12th Bat- talion, by stiff fighting, pushed up the communication trenches north of Chuignes gully. On the right Lieut. Terry, getting out of the trench to direct his bombers, was killed. But Lieut. Graham of the I rth, whose company was supporting Terry’s. led them on, gaining bend after bend of the trench to a point 1,100 yards due east of the start. German accounts say that a breach was made in the line of the Fath I.R. and greatly troubled the 478th farther south, which had to withdraw its flank half a mile. The 87th I.R. (in reserve since relief by the 148th) was warned for counter-attack, but later part of the 152nd I.R. (41st Divn.) was put in there. The left of the 12th from its new-dug posts tried to cross the plateau in face of machine-guns which the thin barrage could not suppress. Its preparations had been seen and it lost heavily. Lieut. Dollery and his platoon in more broken ground reached Earl’s Wood in the gully east of the plateau,72 and scared the German machine-gunners out of Olympia Wood, but were mistaken for Germans by Tulloch’s company of the 11th and sniped at and shelled. They stayed in shell-holes in Olympia Wood amid the crashing trees until dusk. Mean- while the 9th Battalion, by arrangement with the 3rd Division,

Lt. N. F. Day (Geelong. Vic.) 2nd L T.M. Bty , was mortally wounded. nFrom the 478th and 80th I R’s at Pylon Wood and the attached trcnch- mortars and batterin. 73 Earl’s Wood lay next to Olympia Wood but on the western side of the gully. 21 770 THE A.I.F. IN FRANCE [~4th-~6thAug., 1918 had cleared the enemy from the southern edge of the Somme to beyond Ca~py.’~ In this area when the 3rd Aust. Divn. took Bray the reinforcements from the 41st Divn. had been withdrawn to guard the bridges and hill slopes behind the 479th then threatened from the north. Later, during the night of the 24th, the Germans had drawn back their main line of resistance behind Cappy to the line Eclusier-E. edge Olympia Wood-Fontaine road. Shortly after noon their forward posts were forced back from Cappy, fire from north of the river being troublesome. It was afterwards reported that the British (evidently Dollery’s platoon) had reached the main line of resistance at Olympia Wood, and the Ger- mans heabily shelled the wood. XI Corps H.Q. announced that part of the 2nd Guard Divn. was marching up to Becquincourt and could be called on if necessary. But at 9.50 p.m. came an order to withdraw to the line east of Eclusier and west of Dompierre. (The successive positions to which the Germans were thus forced differed from the pre- arranged ones.) The 21st Divn. was now holding the line with troops of the 41st and 243rd Divns. and the 107th with troops of the zard and 108th. At dusk the German artillery in this sector fired a heavy barrage of smoke and gas shell, and it was afterwards found that their infantry had withdrawn. The 11th and 10th Bat- talions were ordered to relieve the 12th and 9th and attack at midnight.- The thunderstorm and the vagueness of the posi- ti~n?~at Olympia Wood delayed the relief. August 26 Eventually the 11th and 10th advanced at 6 a.m. on the 26th, the I I th-through communication trenches, the 10th over the open.’b By evening the 10th was approaching the TaThis ww done by a company under Lt. J W. King (Duchess, Q’land). Capt. Hubert Wilkins the Official Photographer. going with the foremost patrol (see vO1. XII, Plote 532) King. whose compmy commander. Capt. T W. Farmer (Ash- grove, Q’land) had been severely wounded. reconnoitred the village, first with Maj H. Jaines (Perth, W A.) acting-commander of the Qth. and later hy himself. He then, by leave of Brig-(;en Bennett. advanced through the village instead of round it. as previously ordered Two Lewis gunners had been sent to the northern Lank (jiisf ca,rfurc,< lay the *o!h Rn ) rn tire acr0s.s into the duzf,ut entrances and scare any inmates. The Somme Canal was almost empty, the Germans having lilown up the locks. King’s party went as far as a quarry several hundred yards belond Cappy and sent patrols to left and right. A numher of German machine-guns were presently set up on the other edge of the quarry and the Australian harrage dropped behind the patrol. which sheltered from it at a hank just too low for the German machine-gunners to see. One man curled up to sleep saying. “Wake me up when the barrage passes.” These QueenJanders were afterwards withdrawn, one being killed in the process. 7‘ Tulloch’s coiii any, for exaiiiple, had pushed on and was diggina in a third of a mtle beyonf Olymnia Wood when, very late, the order reached it. It had to be brought back. given a hot meal. arid sent round to the other flank. 76 Neligan’s method was to send fnrward patrols by stages, and at each stage drihhle the platoons up to them. The 11th met ol~position at 1)ompierre sugar factory and had to ask for the suiIport of artillery. After two >hots thirty Germans ran towards Doiiiimrre,. Both battalions halted at this stage, and had a meal Neligan brouaht UII 0” Battery R.H A. ea,t of Olympia Wood and other batteries of the siippirting artillery (5th and 16th Bdes H HA ) moved up. Both battalions advanced again. the loth about noon outflanking stublmrnly held German machine-gun imts at Justice and October 30 Woods On the left. a Iivht horse patrol rode beside fhc river to Eclusier. By 6 p m. the 10th Bn was through Nameless and Virgin Woods, and the 11th north ot Dompierre sugar factory. 2gth-qth Aug., rg18j HAfG’S SECOND STROKE 771 old French front between Frise and Dompierre, the 1st Divi- sion’s flank being thus again slightly ahead of the 3rd Division’s; but the 11th Battalion was held up in old trenches near Dom- perre, which was recognised as too diflicult for a tired brigade to attack. Farther south the 1st Brigade had pushed through communication trenches to beyond Fontaine-les-Cappy--- ; but astride the Roman road the 2nd- Brigade and the 32nd Division south of it had for two nights been intensely shelled with gas, great nunibers of men being in- capa~itnted.~~The troops were in no condition to press back the strong German posts covering Foucaucourt. General Monash. w h o s e front was now shortened by the French relieving the 4th Divi- sion opposite Chaulnes, had decided to overcome the obstacles ahead by inserting two of his divisions, 5th and 2nd, in place’of the IS^.'^ The first intention was that they should attack on August 27th, covered by ten brigades of field artillery. But this order, issued on the 25th’ was cancelled next day, Haig’s policy being that the Third and First Armies, which attacked east of Arras on August 26tl1, should now undertake the main effort on the British front. The 5th and 2nd Divisions were therefore instructed to press only with “aggressive patrols.” Meanwhile, shortly before midnight on the 26th arrived news that German officers captured that day by the French said that their front was to be withdrawn six or eight kilo- metres that night. A retirement to the Somme was evidently imminent.

”On the nwht of the yth the Germans, probably firing away their diimps, oured ga5 shell into Froissv valley and its woods north and south of the koinan road The great heat next day volatilised the oil and the gas drifted around until the thunderstorm on the night of Aitg. 15 cleared the air. A second shoot that night was much lesc effective. The 6th Bn. had over IZO men affected, the 8th. 80 The 6th Bn:s companies were reduced to an average of zi men. The 96th Bde. (3znd Div.) had 1.000 casualties Capt. A S Cochburn (Ashfield. N.S.W.). medical officer of the 6th, worked until he could not see. n He thus still had 4 divisions in line and a in reserve.